A crane pierces the hill-slope… while residents below live in fear
These look like Class IV slopes – Photos by Tanjung Bunga residents
Residents of Tanjung Bunga are claiming that the developer of a controversial project is defying a stop work order to cease land development work on three plots which they say are not supported by a geotechnical report.
They have taken photos to show that work is continuing on these plots. From these photos, it appears obvious that work is being carried out on Class IV slopes.
Official guidelines prohibit development on such slopes.
Meanwhile, one Penangite who is opposed to hillslope development says the Tanjung Bunga Residents Association should demand answers from former Penang Chief Minister Koh Tsu Koon and ask him how such projects were approved in the first place.
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There he goes just walking down the street, singing “Got the money & just don’t give a rat ass…!!!
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[...] post: Stop work order imposed, but… accountability, climate-change, development, perak, politics, poverty, tanjung, tanjung-bunga, [...]
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The core issue is not to “demand answers from former Penang Chief Minister Koh Tsu Koon and ask him how such projects were approved in the first place.”
We all know that the project was approved by KTK and the last BN government in Penang via dubious means. Besides, who is KTK these days but a recycled artefact best consigned to the rubbish dump of history!
So, raising up this point ad infinitum ad nauseum is purely a red herring – meaning it is being raised again and again by those whose main objective is not to solve this problem but who merely want to distract readers from the real issue at hand.
And the real and only issue at hand is this:
WHY IS THE CURRENT DAP/PR GOVERNMENT OF PENANG SO AFRAID OF CANCELLING/STOPPING/BANNING THIS DANGEROUS HILLSLOPE PROJECT ONCE AND FOR ALL?
TBRA has clearly shown that Bolton Surin is undertaking construction works that are certainly dangerous and may even likely be illegal. If so, why is the DAP/PR State Govt still dragging its feet in this matter?
What is Lim Guan Eng’s and the DAP’s interest here? Is LGE/DAP really for the Tg Bunga residents who elected him/them or is LGE/DAP for the developer who did not elect him/them?
WHY THE FOOT DRAGGING? WHAT’S SO DIFFICULT ABOUT STOPPING THE PROJECT COMPLETELY UNLESS YOU ARE PALLY WITH DEVELOPERS?
I ask again. HAS THE DAP TAKEN DONATIONS FROM THIS BOLTON SURIN DEVELOPER OR CONTRACTOR AT ANY TIME PREVIOUSLY SUCH THAT IT IS NOW AFRAID/UNABLE TO ACT AGAINST BOLTON OR THE CONTRACTOR?
As a concerned resident of Tg Bunga, I want the current DAP/PR govt which has the power over land issues to stop all dangerous hillslope developments.
STOP THE PROJECT NOW.
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Dear MPPP executive officer,
If the developer would not cease work, consult your lawyers and get a court order if the stop work order is in order.
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Dear Anil,
As a resident of Tj Bungah, I too am concerned about the safety of my family. There is no point in asking the Gerakan-led government to answer for their deeds. On the other hand, can somebody tell us whether the work that is being done despite the ban is because the hill needs to be stablized? I have another friend living in Bukit Ceylon in KL who faces the same problem. Once the trees have been cleared, the hill is basically unsafe. A responsible developer will have to do something to make sure the hill is safe.
Engineers will tell you that any hill can be made safe for development. I am no expert but from what I can see, it would be irresponsible of the government and the developer to just stop work and leave the hill to take care of itself.
What should a responsible State Government do? It must put the safety of the residents upper-most. The developer must be made to make safe the hill. We must also find ways to make sure that such a problem does not occur again. Those readers who feel that the rights of landowners should be balanced with their social responsibility should also look around their neighbourhoods. There are lots of illegal extensions etc. If we want to apply the law, let us apply it evenly whether it involves development on dangerous hill slopes or building a room over public drains.
The bottom line is that whilst we want the State government to be proactive and cast aside the legal rights of developers, most of us are not willing to take responsibility for our own backyard. In that sense, the TB residents association is to be commended. It is now up to the rest of us to show our support to the State Government and strengthen their hand when dealing with such “inherited” problems. We can do this via a state-wide signature campaign and demand for local elections.
There is a limit to what we can do with projects already approved but we can certainly try to make sure history does not repeat itself.
Neil Khor
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If the top photo looks scary, who wants to buy a apartment live on top in such a place? If the people at the bottom of the hill feels threaten from the slip, what about those living in the block. Their apartments will go down with it. Both lives are also involved.
Developers will not develop the place if there is no demand or buyers just as there are many abdandoned housing. But why there stil buyers if TBRA feels the place is not safe?
Now the contractor has cut so much of the hill and you look as if the cutting is so scary and demand to stop. If the contractor stop work. So what happen to the site? What is TBRA’s solution to the abandoned hill cutting? Leave it as it is?
The fault lies on no geotechnical report and wonder if the Council knows what they are doing. Problem is that Council employs College trained Technicians and Technical Assistants.They are like warlords. Even the Engrs are doing Management work. The council should demand the geotechnical report and have its own independant checker to ascertain the design by the developer’s engineer
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“Meanwhile, one Penangite who is opposed to hillslope development says the Tanjung Bunga Residents Association should demand answers from former Penang Chief Minister Koh Tsu Koon and ask him how such projects were approved in the first place.”
Since he is a back door listing minister now, he is under obligation to explain to the people of Penang. He owes the people of Penang an explanation, if not he is just drawing “buta gaji” paid by Malaysian.
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Anil,
The top photo is not “A crane pierces the hill-slope…” It is “An excavator pierces the hill-slope….”
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well…frm where i stay i can see clearly the Surin project…as of now, they are still knocking, digging, blasting all the way…..therefore i dont think they give a rat’s a… on any stop work order…the only way to shut them down is to do it by force…
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[...] the residents claim that earlier photographs on 2 May show an excavator on Lot 4165. They maintain that the cleared land stretches from Lots 4165 and [...]
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It’s disgusting to think the politicians who are elected by the people of penang and the council are such a bunch of spineless useless humans unable to impose a simple order, just allowing our beautiful island to become a concrete jungle.Tourists feel sad that this charming island with its friendly people is turning into a hotbed with monstrous looking high buildings, devoid of greenery.
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Remember Kg.Buah Pala ‘daylight robbery’ and the actions or rather the inactions of your Penang CM. I did say that the Penangites should have picked one from their own not an ‘outsider’. KTK is definitely a piece of the historical rubbish, as somebody noted.
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