Can the Penang state government direct the Penang Municipal Council (MPPP) to implement the proposed Penang International Convention Centre?
On 30 November 2009, in response to an oral question in the Penang State Assembly by Pantai Jerejak member Sim Tze Tzin (PKR), Chow Kon Yeow, responding on behalf of the Chief Minister, replied that “in line with a state government directive, the MPPP had been directed to implement the construction of a convention centre at a site determined by the state government, that is, at the Penang International Sports Arena (Pisa) in Relau, Penang”.
He added that the proposal was in the planning stage, and the MPPP would decide if a traffic impact assessment was needed once it received a detailed proposal.
Is it within the power of the state government to issue such a directive to the MPPP?
Section 9 of the Local Government Act 1976 states:
ADMINISTRATION OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES
9. Power of State Authority to issue directions.
(1) The State Authority may from time to time give the local authority directions of a general character, and not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, on the policy to be followed in the exercise of the powers conferred and the duties imposed on the local authority by or under this Act in relation to matters which appear to the State Authority to affect the interests of the local authority area, and the local authority shall as soon as possible give effect to all such directions.
The operative words here are “directions of a general character” on policy matters. Now, the question here is, does a directive to implement a specific convention centre on a specific site determined by the state government amount to “directions of a general character” on policy matters?
One blog reader made the following observation:
The issue is not whether Penang needs a convention centre. The issue is:
(1) whether PICC is the business of MPPP to build and maintain. Obviously MPPP had done a bad job for Pisa and now it is being asked to shoulder another monument.
(2) where is the feasibility study and why is MPPP being pressured to build it in a hurry – to be completed by 2010, tender to be called in January?
(3) why no competition for design and why the reliance on the same architect who built Pisa?
(4) why the location? does everyone know that it will be located at the front entrance obstructing Pisa?
(5) will any exhibitors come to a RM 50 million convention centre (with no hotel, auditorium and inadequate parking) in congested Penang when there are much grander and better equipped convention centres in KL, Singapore, Bangkok?
(6) what will happen to Pisa during and after construction?
Let the private sector or state government build and run it. Don’t ask MPPP to spend ratepayers’ money in a hurry for this when all the above questions remain hanging in the air.
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Unless you can prove that we have all become architects overnight, please stop your senseless and baseless libeling that we oppose the PICC because of we don’t get business, Anthony Tan.
If you ran out of sensible arguments you can shut up. Personal attack and insinuation on our motives won’t make you a better person.
But then, what else can you do, Anthony Tan, other than personal attacks?
Can the Penang govt direct MPPP to build PICC?
Yes, by fiat, because we don’t have local election!
The ability to control local councils and their revenues is perhaps the biggest reason why DAP, PKR, and PAS are not pushing hard for local election.
That’s why we need local elections – to strip the state government of too much power, and keep them our humble servants.
Kah seng
You are right. I may also add that by not having local council elections, Pakatan also able to use the lucrative positions to reward its supporters and also as a channel to (allegedly) distibute contracts and concessions to its supporters and cronies.
I must say that they have learnt fast.
Iron,
I am not being personal but making a general statement using “SOME OF YOU without targeting any individual as there were a few people who mentioned the architect’s name and alleged they are inexperience or not qualified etc.
When a person zeroed in on any particular name or person that means, that is the target you want to hit, right?
How can one quantify a person not qualify to do a job when it is very subjective? I have come to a general conclusion after going through what was posted in blogs for examples like Anil’s, themalaysiainsider.com,, justice4otk etc.
By using such excuses to deprive the general public an access to a new public facility that have been long overdue is simply not fair.
If you feel that I am personally attacking you, it is the case of “siapa makan chili berasa pedas”. You have reach the point that you have enough been out pointed and you should not don’t simply tell me to “SHUT UP” and I feel that you ARE NOW GETTING PERSONAL!
You can say what you want but don’t mislead people to believe what you write in Anil’s blog are gospel truth and you are the master of all trade.
If you want to attack people’s comments in other people’s blog then you are open to counter attack unless you have your own blog where people can only read what you want cough out about your unhappiness against the government, your rivals, bloggers etc without allowing people to comment on your blog, then that is your right.
Anyway, you still have not answered some of my questions that I have countered what you have posted in Anil’s blog. Are you trying to throw smoke bombs to redirect the attention of the readers of Anil’s blog and by asking me to “SHUT UP”?
Lets be fair and be more understanding, sometimes when a project is initiated will make you happy but not others and vice versa.In this world it is filled with problems and we need to find the solutions to the problems not for individual but for the masses.
Kah Seng, you are right.
DAP promised us local council election and now they deny us the right.
And they blame the Fed for it.
With local council election no one, not even Lim Guan Eng, can push the PICC like they are doing.
And btw, the newspaper says (today) that the state gomen has met with a delegation from some business group to discuss the PICC, however everything was done closed-door style.
Can you find out what they have discussed, Kah Seng?