Archive for April, 2008

LIVE COVERAGE: PM announces Judicial Commission, stops short of apology

2145: The announcement of an ex gratia payment/financial compensation has not gone down well with some of the lawyers present. There is some discussion at the dinner tables about whether it would look as if judges could be sacked and later paid off as a crude way of saying sorry. One of [...]

Why spend only RM4 million on trams when you can spend billions on mega projects

The old tram tracks of George Town, freshly uncovered and preserved on Penang Road. Getting a basic tram service up and running will cost only RM4 million, says a consultant.

George Town once had a remarkable public transport system. It had these fascinating trams, which were affordable and people friendly.
Cities across the world, especially heritage cities, [...]

Ten reasons why the second Penang bridge is not a great idea

Controversial second bridge: The site at Batu Kawan on the mainland as it looks now

It will add to traffic congestion on the island. Even with an additional third lane, the existing Penang Bridge is expected to become congested again in a few years. That’s the rationale given for building a new bridge. But then, what [...]

The Hanging Flowerpots of Butterworth

Unnecessary structures: Flimsy covered phone booths that fell apart soon after being installed

Weird and tacky lamp-posts: Each lamp-post had the letters MPSP up in lights! Notice the hooks where flower pots once hung (you can just about see the hooks below the four lamps). What they didn’t factor in was what a tough job watering [...]

LIVE COVERAGE of the Penang Forum

People in the new Penang now feel more empowered in the struggle for justice
4.30pm - The world is watching civil society in Malaysia, which is blossoming and acting as real agents of change. “I’m enthralled by the response of you participants who have stayed on the whole day,” concludes Ahmad Chik, the moderator for the [...]