Malaysia: Penang Recognises St Anne’s Feast as State Heritage Asset

The annual Feast of St Anne at the Minor Basilica of St Anne in Bukit Mertajam, northwestern Malaysia, has been officially recognised as a Penang state heritage asset under the Penang State Heritage Enactment 2011.

The declaration was made during the Penang State Heritage Declaration Ceremony organised by the Penang State Heritage Commissioner’s Office on May 9 at Kampung Mengkuang Titi in Kubang Semang.

Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow officiated at the ceremony.

The recognition places the Feast of St Anne among Penang’s protected intangible cultural heritage traditions and acknowledges its longstanding role in the religious and cultural life of the state.

Held annually in July at the Minor Basilica of St Anne, the feast is widely regarded as the largest Catholic gathering in Malaysia and among the biggest Christian pilgrimages in Southeast Asia.

Each year, tens of thousands of pilgrims and visitors converge on Bukit Mertajam for the annual novena and feast celebrations. Pilgrims travel from across Malaysia as well as from Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and other countries in the region.

The celebration includes Masses in multiple languages, candlelight processions, rosary prayers and devotional activities centred on St Anne, the mother of the Virgin Mary.

Under the Penang State Heritage Enactment 2011, heritage recognition may be granted not only to buildings and historical sites, but also to cultural expressions, traditions and practices considered important to the identity and historical development of the state.

Speaking to Radio Veritas Asia, Deacon Lazarus Anthony expressed gratitude to the Penang state government for recognising the Feast of St Anne as an intangible cultural heritage asset.

“The feast is more than an annual religious celebration. It is a living tradition that has been passed down across generations and continues to inspire devotion, foster unity and enrich the cultural identity of Penang,” he said.

The history of St Anne’s Church dates back to the 19th century, when Chinese and Indian Catholic migrants fleeing disease outbreaks in Batu Kawan are believed to have settled in Bukit Mertajam, where they began gathering for prayer at the foothills of St Anne’s Hill.

An early chapel was first built atop the hill before a larger second chapel was constructed in 1865. In 1888, Fr. F. P. Sorin built a larger church, today known as the “Old Church” or the Shrine of Harmony. The present sanctuary, opened in 2002, was designed to accommodate the large crowds attending the annual feast.

In 2019, Pope Francis elevated the church to the status of Minor Basilica, making it the first church in Malaysia to receive the title.