In some cases, continuing to live here has not been a viable option. With low rents, jetty life may seem like an affordable choice, but this isn’t always the case as repair work does pile up thanks to the damage caused by saltwater. ‘We have to do a lot of maintenance and continually replace things, which works out to be very expensive,’ says Siew Pheng. ‘The area is also government owned, so we also have to renew our occupant’s licence each year.’

Thus far all jetty houses have remained with the original settling families, despite the dispersal of many clan members to the Malaysian mainland.

‘Before, most of the jetty people worked on their own and from home; but that time has largely passed, so now younger generations move to mainland houses and jobs, and help to support their parents who still live here, and they return home as often as they can,’ says Siew Pheng.

In 2008, the historic centre of George Town was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, both to help protect its older buildings and also to recognise the unique racial and cultural diversity found in Penang. The accolade encompassed the clan jetties, bringing the above-water structures a great deal of new attention.

‘Being UNESCO listed has had both pros and cons,’ says Siew Pheng. ‘Because we don’t own the land, we’d previously had few rights to debate what happened to our homes. We risked losing them, with possible compensation of land-based apartments. But with the help of NGOs we sorted it all out so we could stay here, which was a plus. On the downside the jetties have become very busy, both with more family members and also with visitors, so it’s not the peaceful place it once was – although that’s progress and we have adapted.’