Another photo by tunglang of a hill-slope project, this time in the Jalan Tun Sardon area of Penang Island.
tunglang writes:
Botak hill land of the richies. No trees for nice unobstructed view? Or is it for kenduri or morning Tai Chi? When was it botak-ed? Who approved it? How high is this richie hill land which is off & way above the main hill road Jalan Tun Sardon? Private land probably, but don’t you think the manner of development can greatly affected the downhill natural water retention, subterranean soil & rock stability, and river flow volume (esp on rainy days) some of which may possibly flow into Relau area? Q: Why is it that Jalan Tun Sardon is frequently prone to rock falls?…
As a concerned Penangite, I decided to furnish this evidence to prove within a reasonable yet non-disputable fact that some hill development such as this one above Jalan Tun Sardon may have adverse environment effect on downhill areas such as Relau….
There may be many more of such hill development in Penang which are not privy to the public unless you take a hike or risk mad-dog chasing….
I trekked thro’ these (4-5) hills countless times as a child. It was a total difference comparing now to the 60s/70s when it was thick rainforest with intermittent fruit trees, rubber trees, farms & century old Hakka homesteads, some of whom later residents I knew back then.
They were some of the most ecologically conscious early settlers who managed their ancestral hill lands with care knowing what to take & what to give back in order to survive well & prosper thro’ generations.
The natural water drainage & catchment of the entire Relau back hills was & still is no experimental plaything, not even for civil engineers to mess up. To draw water from inter-networked rivers, these homesteaders used 2-inch wide open-bamboo siphons for that purpose, one bamboo siphon for one homestead and no more. Other minimalist bamboo water siphoning were for farm use & rubber sheets processing. And that left the natural rivers in healthy state for Nature to thrive on, enough water for downhill homesteads to utilize. Any muddying of these rivers uphill, they knew instantly & would caution – that I learnt after thrashing playfully in one particular river full of ‘Lian’ fish. It was standard natural water utility practice for more than a century – an ecologically sound neighborly understanding & cooperation.Even human & poultry waste… (was) recycled as natural manure, not buried, not left to dirty the homesteads, rivers or rainforest. Natural composting was natural habit after a durian & fruit season.
Even before this ‘botak-ing’, Jalan Tun Sardon (built in the early 70s) especially just below this hill development was always prone to unpredictable rock falls & landslides in the 70s, 80s, 90s & recent 2000s, some fallen boulders as huge as a bus! Until now, it is still a dangerous, slippery stretch during heavy rainy days. (Watch out above your heads during Hungry Ghost Month). What now with this hill botak-ing adding … to the obvious environmental instability & long term safety of increasing traffic along Jalan Tun Sardon. You are not safe, not even driving a one-ton Caterpillar or Humvee….
The hills behind Relau still live & can react accordingly.
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Why not follow Singapore ‘Garden by the Bay’ concept to revamp Penang Botanic Garden?
http://www.gardensbythebay.org.sg/
Gardens by the Bay has been highly recommended by Patricia Schultz, the author of the New York Times best seller “1000 Places to See Before You Die.” Gardens by the Bay was mentioned in the Facebook page of the best-selling title. In addition, Ms Schultz also strongly recommends Resorts World Sentosa and Singapore’s Food Street. The gardens, which will open on 29 June, took the National Park Council about six years to plan and build. It consists of three gardens, Bay South, Bay East and Bay Central. Bay South occupies 54 hectares of land, equivalent to 75 football fields, and… Read more »
Pakatan under DAP will win Penang GE13.
Penang gomen then no more honeymoon but better translate the talks into walking talks.
On Parks & Recreation to upgrade healthy lifestyle of Penangites young n old; MPPP can learn from Corporate world. Just look at current sPICE garden concept (btw Gelakan leaking $ legacy of PISA eg non-functioning fountain is slowing but effectively removed!).
MPPP pls benchmark what IJM can do; then copy and implement the garden concept that throughout Penang – Boleh Bikin ???
I love Spice Garden, which from brochures & web pictures alone could fire my passion for tropical rainforest.
Never step foot on the SG soil yet, my imagination sometimes run wild of this ‘Garden of Eden’ with an Eve-lookalike on a full moon night or early pre dawn.
Here, imagine animal instincts given a free-rein!
Plus a Tongkat Ali cuppa.
Previous has linked up with Xiamen in 2008 but is there a follow-up plan to make Penang a garden city like Xiamen ?
http://www.whatsonxiamen.com/news4310.html
I hope present MPPP folks don’t just like predecessors alway talk but no results to show tax-paying public.
Anil, this may help open our eyes & minds (esp. MPPP) to greening urban landscape.
Enjoy the new ways of greening spaces.
Vertical Garden or Jungled our cities:
Hydroponic technology at work with vertical designer gardening.
Less or no soil is needed unlike conventional planting.
Rain water harvesting is one way to get more free water for hydroponic technology to work while we enjoy the oxygen producing green.
Think vertical if Chulia Street or Malay Street is too narrow for conventional tree planting.
The price? Not as surreal as Satu Lagi Projek. Tis’ no kang tau for Gila-Gelakan minded minions. Forget about Fed funding.
Best results are usually achieved by private initiatives which are more daring & experimental than our Kementerian Tanam-Tanam!!!
Anil, Yang is right to point out that given the narrow roads in Chulia Street, Beach St, etc where can you find the space for planting tress ?
In all fairness, DAP/Pakatan government has faired fairly well in the short span of 4 years than Gerakan’s 2 decades !!!
Please help DAP/Pakatan government to build up Penang by giving support and suggestions. TQ!
Maybe the car-free thing is the way to go. If we don’t have so many cars on the road, then there will be a lot more space for trees. Imagine instead of wide roads and space wasted for parking lots, we had a lot more trees…
Just imagine and dream first (in this case of a car-free city), and then share the dream, and plan and work together to realise that dream.
Anil, i share your dream but in reality it is just next to impossible. You see, these days, everyone wants things done on an immediate basis. A good example is as we all can see in your blog recently, we want and we expect Lim Guan Eng to transform Penang overnight. When the rapid bus didnt stop right in front of our doorstep, we complained and said the bus service was no good, another example. Anil, you tell me how to reduce the number of cars on the road when i was just told by a stranger that she just… Read more »
Yes, now we are talking 🙂 Potted plants, shrubs, and trees can line the streets. What about colourful flowering plants. Public awareness has to grow. If more people see how nice plants look outside a building, they might be encouraged to follow suit. MPPP can give rebates on assessment for those who have taken effort to green their premises, subject to guidelines, while those who concretise their premises could incur a surcharge. Cars might be harder to tackle, but certainly not impossible. This should go in tandem with improved public transport once there is a new govt in Putrajaya. In… Read more »
the europeans has ~3 mths of summer. however, they sow seeds to grow plants & flowers to bloom before fall season comes by. They practically have ~ 2 mths to enjoy the fruits of their labour doing gardening. I personally witnessed this when i was at my Dutch friend home in Eindhoven. In Malaysia, we take things for granted, We have daily tropical sunshine and bundance of rain water not forgeting fertile soil. However, we prefer concrete surroundings and tend to forget the ambience & tranquility of the natural world. It’s a puzzle to visiting nature loving Europeans coming to… Read more »
@Ahmad Sobri, Guan Eng should just ask the Chinese Sex Legend point blank in their coming televised debate why he has not been been charged for his (‘Viagra sponsored’?) escapade. Women wear bras but some men wear open laptops.
Maybe its my phone but I only see green with the picture above. I bet its even greener than our own properties in Penang.
Click the photo to enlarge it. Noe look carefully at the slopes in the background. Now compare those slopes with those of other pristine hills and not with the the concrete, cement, brick and tar landscape of your properties.
So where do you draw the line? It would be unfair that we get tar and concrete on our property yet deny others the same.
The question is, what are the guidelines/restrictions on hill slope development and are they being enforced strictly?
What is there to debate or share when you don’t even know?
Not there before, yet can judge anything according to his sense of warped engineering ‘understanding’ or distorted photographic myopia!
Dear Suunyooi,
go outdoors more often to regain your sense of green space & distance & perspective. This’s for your own safety in case you happened to drive along Jalan Tun Sardon on a stormy day or happened to hike in these unstable but ‘alive’ hills!
Also, why not cut your top hair half-botak to see the obvious difference up close & personal?!!!
I believe all the land along that road are private property. Unless u can point to specific regulations that is being broken don’t spew half truths.
The pictures speak for themselves. This is factual environmental change of grave concern to me personally as a photojournalist. Something must be wrong somewhere according to my suspect: it MAY HAVE adverse environment effect on downhill areas. Seeing frequent/almost yearly landslides & rockfalls along the road below. Let the readers be the judge. Let the authorities be the re-regulators. And I have the RIGHT TO SUSPECT on this (not accuse yet) as concerned Penangite. Did I say I am absolutely (100%) correct in my suspicion at this point? Or you prefer I keep quiet in the manner of an ostrich… Read more »
As a concerned Penangite, I decided to furnish this evidence to prove within a reasonable yet non-disputable fact that some hill development such as this one above Jalan Tun Sardon may have adverse environment effect on downhill areas such as Relau. There may be many more of such hill development in Penang which are not privy to the public unless you take a hike or risk mad-dog chasing. I have also seen a dump site hidden in the Penang rainforest the location I will not disclose. It takes more than a gut effort of commenting here to prove a point… Read more »
Ah Soon Kor forsee potential business in supplying plants for Greener Penang Campaign so he set up nursery ay Balik Pulau ???
Everyone can play a part to set up eco-friendly garden city of Penang by planting more trees and don’t just “cement” up the land; since Penang island is concrete botak without serious conscientios efforts !
you are right, wait til they botak all our hill and tell you it is a cleaner greener Penang, i will sell my trees to qualify staying in the island.
Given a chance, we Penangites can chip in turning any available ‘botak’ space into greenery. Just plant more trees in pots on 5 foot ways, back lanes and street corners. For some with money, get a landscaper to design vertical planting of ornamental plants on empty walls. For me, given a chance, I envision a semi-rainforested heritage George Town with agro-greenery topped buildings, spaces interspersed with waterfalls, fish ponds & recreated jungle paths for mountain bikers & healthy walkers. Too hot to walk or cycle? Install mist fans at strategic street corners/stretches. I just love some heritage houses doing the… Read more »
Yes, there is much that can be done to green George Town. For a start, compared to Singapore, there are hardly any trees in George Town.
Anil, This is a very very misleading statement.
I was referring to George Town city centre. Do you see many shady trees or much greenery along Penang road, Chulia street, beach street…? Now compare those streets with the major streets of Singapore.
Fact is, whether it is in the suburbs, or in the city centre, Singapore is certainly much greener! Actually, who is running Penang? LGE alone? It is certainly easier to be a Opposition Parliamentairan, then to be a CM! And the wannabe, Chang is saying he is going to be more assertive! What a joke! He has to kowtow kowtow and kowtow to UMNO! Just like Chua Soi Lek! Or else, tangkap! Mana boleh have sex against the course of nature? Ask Chua Soi Lek, that is why he is asking LGE to apologize to Najib! All these MCA/GERAKAN politicians… Read more »
Anil is saying the obvious, not enough effort is put in by the State Government to ‘green’ the city.
Penangites and business people, hoteliers too has to be blamed for not doing their part to help beauty the city with more greens.
Anil, Are you trying to pin the blame onto GE and PR when Georgetown is almost the same for the past 50 years or so. Have not the LGE govt been trying to green Georgetown by planting more trees such as Carnvon Street, Penang Road, Light Street, Magazine Road, Pitt Street, Weld Quay and many other areas. Trees were preserved when areas are developed such as the Jelutong and many other areas. Certain areas could not be done such as Chulia Street and inner Georgetown which has narrow roads unless it is being developed with new planning that will be… Read more »
Not everything has to be blame game. Just pointing out the obvious and that a lot needs to be done.
When there’s a WILL, there’s a WAY. Time to move forward and why compare when Pakatan/DAP is the state government today?
Perhaps it’s time for Penang State Government to change its whoever in-charge of ‘Gardens and Parks’, no?
Can’t get more ideas on greening Penang? Why not issue a landscape contest for Penangites (ONLY)? No Singaporean or foreigners, please. Can be street based, heritage house / courtyards / frontage, gate arches or street junctions / squares. Even for kopitiams. Old cars & bicycles are another ‘creative canvass’ for greening. The more green creative, the better. Green doesn’t have to be just decorative plants alone. Herbal plants should be considered. Add on with creative pottery, wood crafts / sculptures & wild life (pigeons, crickets, small aquarium fish, frogs / toads, green dragon lizards, snails). Since our climate support a… Read more »
I propose Buletin Mutiara to carry an article on the projects and plans (short n long terms) by Penang’s Garden & Parks Department eg Ketua Jabatan’s contacts.
The people can gauge the KPIs and give feedback to get the momentum to make Penang greener and less concrete.
Anil’s blog itself can set up a subtopic on “Greener & Cleaner Penang” for Penang government to listen and act accordingly.
Excellent thought and no better opp for a tie-in between USM and state govt – so please moot the idea and use this as a foundation to cultivate more fruitful endevours for the future.
We have one of the oldest & finest Botanical Garden in Asia yet we don’t care / know how to green a city properly, let alone the suburbs.
Is maintenance (watering, pruning, replanting) such a problematic chore as to dissuade our green department from doing a fine job of greening Penang?
The next gardener recruitment by MPPP should state the overlooked requirement of natural 10 green fingers!
Correct me if I am wrong: I don’t think we have a full-fledged parks and gardens department in Penang, apart from a small department/unit/section within MPPP.
Boss,
…..non-disputable fact that…….MAY have…..
Its also non-disputable fact that you may have no idea of any effect on anythiñg.
I trekked thro’ these (4-5) hills countless times as a child. It was a total difference comparing now to the 60’s/70’s when it was thick rainforest with intermittent fruit trees, rubber trees, farms & century old Hakka homesteads, some of whom later residents I knew back then. They were some of the most ecologically conscious early settlers who managed their ancestral hill lands with care knowing what to take & what to give back in order to survive well & prosper thro’ generations. The natural water drainage & catchment of the entire Relau back hills was & still is no… Read more »
Vote LGE out and let BN replanting the trees !!!
is this gelakan campaign ?
what a virtual cleaner greener Penang void of anything real!
Gelak-Gelakan should have been ‘a little’ braver much, much earlier in the 80’s (instead of 90’s obvious Boh Lan Hoot) to practice Cleaner, Greener Penang, politically & environmentally before the inevitable advent of ‘Bersih’.
And Madam Ambiga would have saved her precious time, health & need not risk her life for a worthy cause.
And many Penangites would have stay put in Penang for its long term prosperity & progress.
tunglang
You can take pictures of Penang food and let readers salivating?
Too much of corrupted BN news is making me hungry for Ho Chak Penang food!
Anyway, it is a pity KF seetoh did not engage you as a consultant in his The Food Surprise program on Astro TLC>
I got one – Hokkien Mee true 60’s recipe.
Let me salivate over the pictorials first before I share, share!
In fact, I ‘walloped’ the whole dish almost dry to the base of the bowl!
And my taste buds kept dancing cha-cha until I got home!!!
You can certainly boost readership of Anil’s blog!
Any ‘juicy pics’ of BN folks?
I am not in the business of Blue F. Ocean Strategic Videos, a desperate tactic of Barang Naiki minions. This was not spared in the case of Soiled Lake Video against one of its own minions.
Ho
Ho 
Ho 
Ho
Ho 
Ho 
And, Gila makan too much of belacan also !!!
The power of udang with belacan = Gilakan !!!
Whatever, guys, never take Gila seriously, leave it to Altantuya to kautim him !!!
You mean reclaiming all the lost projects, Gherkin? You sure no trees were cut down when your bosses ruled Penang?
It start with the building of the road to Balik Pulau with the dveleopment starting from the start of Jalan Paya Terubong right down to Relau and side way to Balik Pulau. Block 1062 and Tai Wah are 2 bad examples. And its all by KTK Zerro KPI Geelakan AMMO. This is not a blame but a fact
Remeber how CAP Idris was complaining of AMMO Geelakan clearing of beautiful paddy field and forrest in the green and beautiful areas of Bayan Lepas during the 70s. And the reason they say is for development. So what the hell are you complaining now.
Wong Chun Wai of the Star failed to report that 19 upcoming developments that are above 76m in Penang were approved by the previous BN administration as “special projects”.