GEORGE TOWN: The Penang Island City Council (MBPP) president today said none of the ancillary buildings surrounding Runnymede bungalow (now Runnymede Hotel) that were demolished recently was the home of Penang governor assistant secretary Sir Stamford Raffles.
Mayor Datuk Pattahiyah Ismail said the existence of Runnymede bungalow was "never in the council's records" under the plan submitted in 1999 and such a historical house "never existed" in her understanding and in records.
Pattahiyah said the authorities only demolished a building categorised as ancillary, and not the home of Raffles as claimed by certain quarters.
"The authorities demolished the ancillary building under the plan which gave an impression to the public that we (MBPP) had allegedly demolished Sir Raffles’ home.
"Everyone keeps claiming this and that but there is no proof saying there existed a building in which Sir Raffles lived in.
"Showing a postcard to the public and saying it was the home of Sir Raffles without any solid evidence is not valid," she added.