The following is MPPP Councillor Lim Mah Hui’s address at the full council meeting of the MPPP yesterday:
We ignore history at our own peril or as George Santayana, the philosopher puts it, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
On Christmas eve, 1993, a developer illegally demolished Hotel Metropole, a MPPP listed heritage building. On 26, July 2010, another developer illegally tore down 20 Pykett Ave, the mansion of Khaw Sim Bee. How many more of our historical and heritage sites, including our hills, do we need to destroy before we say enough is enough.
Let me quote at length parts of an eloquent and impassioned speech made on conservation.
After the scandalous and outrageous demolition of the 100-year Hotel Metropole…the people of Penang have a right to demand to know the full facts about the MPPP stand and list of conservation buildings….
Tan Gim Hwa should not continue to behave as if he has never heard of the democratic principles of accountability and transparency, and he should make public the heritage buildings along Jln Sultan Ahmad Shah which had been ‘released’ for development…
In October 1989, the MPPP drew up a list of 20 heritage buildings and sites along Jln Sultan Ahman Shah for preservation…
Some of the more famous include Shi Chung Primary School, former Runnymede Hotel, Hotel Metropole, Telekoms, Soonstead, Maple Gold, Homestead, Istana Kedah, Hardwich, and Woodville.
The MPPP (also) drew up conservation control guidelines.… with three objectives:
1. To conserve the character of Jln Sultan Ahmad Shah…
2. To ensure land and building use compatible with the image of the road as a distinctive area for good class residences and prestige establishments
3. To ensure new developments to harmonise with activities, image, scale, proportion, streetscape, skyline and design of heritage building and sites
Some of the detailed guidelines include the following:
– No demolition, alteration or extension of the building other than development or works necessary for restoring it or maintain it to a proper state.
– Limited alterations and extensions may be permitted provided the character and architectural value of the buildings and sites are not impaired….
– When repairing buildings, care should be taken that the colour harmonises with the character of the building and the environment in general….
– For commercial uses that are detrimental to the environment visually, such as coffee shops, motor workshops/showrooms, are not permitted.
My fellow ahli majlis, these are not my words. These are the words of YB Lim Kit Siang uttered 20 years ago. How many of these guidelines have been broken since? These words come back to haunt us today. The DAP then was an opposition party in Penang and championed the rights of people and issues of conservation of sites and hills. Today it and its Pakatan partners rule Penang.
Twenty years ago, YB Lim Kit Siang, along with civil society, championed the cause to save Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah. Today, Penang Heritage Trust has to take up the same cause again and calls on this government to honour the words of YB Lim Kit Siang.
PHT launched a campaign to save Soonstead last Friday and to date has obtained over 2000 signatures. Among the signatories is Richard Englehardt, a Unesco advisor, whose words we should heed. He wrote:
A city can compare well (and compete successfully) with others only if its identity is proud and unique. Heritage is a source of a city’s pride and one of the things that make a city unique. A hotel, an office tower block, a parking garage — these things can be built anywhere. To sacrifice the heritage of Soonstead to such projects is not development, it is vandalism….Government has the responsibility to act on behalf of the public, past, present and future — not on behalf of some selfish property speculator whose intention it is to rob Penang’s public of a piece of its rightful heritage, expropriating it for his own personal profit.
I end my speech with a plea and a question.
My plea is for the MPPP to start following its own conservation guidelines and to save Soonstead, other heritage sites, and the hills of Penang.
My question is, what has happened to the MPPP’s directive (Section 19 of the Town and Country Planning Act) to rebuild 20 Pykett Ave. It has been four years since the directive was issued. Why is the building not rebuilt? Was a contribution given in lieu of rebuilding?
I ask the MPPP to have 20 Pykett Ave rebuilt and to approve low-density houses/apartments there.
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Anil and Yang, please provide update for the following YANG comment. This blog has too much political stories, but neglected the environment issue: * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * YANG said: Conservation of building and our environment. Well I just passed botak hill. Anil, Tunglang and commentator can go and have a look. Yes they have fill some with shrubs but a little bit downward 3 bungalows have already been constructed. I believed it will stretch to the end… Read more »
This blog is now swamped with people who are chiak pah boh tai chee cho luang luang hoot because they beh tang chiak under CAT system.
Translation, please.
Anil, this guy … is a troll or shill …
Next he will meow like an alley cat after a steamy session.
His comment sounded more appropriate for …
… tunglang used deragotory hokkien word.
Okay, I have deleted the words. I don’t understand them. Please everyone, avoid derogatory or offensive terms and discuss civilly.
Anil, luan luan h… is also derogatory.
Anyway, I won’t ask for censorship like an uptight school headmistress.
chiak pah boh tai chee cho luang luang hoot
= having eaten and nothing better to do and anyhow whack
beh tang chiak = cannot cari makan.
So you got cari-makan from N… K…?
Anil, Yang allegation is serious one. Please do a comprehensive investigation, if got video even better. I think anil you should ‘turun padang’ and proof it because we all know that that Yang fella is anti-DAP one.
Speedy Gonzalez the Mexican edition will say ariba ariba in Looney Tunes.
I hope Renang edition is sane and not looney 🙂
Just go and see it from Jalan Bukit Gambier from the traffic light. I believed its crystal clear. If it is not as what I say, then I am lying but I believed they cannot pull down the structure so quickly.
Conservation of building and our environment. Well I just passed botak hill. Anil, Tunglang and commentator can go and have a look. Yes they have fill some with shrubs but a little bit downward 3 bungalows have already been constructed. I believed it will stretch to the end and one slope downward which may accommodate 10 – 20 bungalow. Now this is the kucing that have been lying to us all along. What is 30k fine. 1 bungalow 7 millions x 20 = 140 millions. Don`t believed go and see for yourself.
Submit a clear photo to this blog, please.
Yes I will go and take some photos and submit to you
Ok let’s see.
Talk is cheap. Where is the photo?
This is not pettiness but lies and deceit. He (tells) the rakyat that he is someone that does not waste but care. He tell the world he fly economy. He tell the rakyat that BN is wasting money on Mercedes and should drive smaller car like Camry or any old Mercedes. All of a sudden he buy a new Merc 300. This is not about Merc. As a CM you want to drive Merc nobody will say a thing but he boast and lie. This is the issue. Moron.
One day, he got a ‘personally justified’ discount for MercS300L.
Then one fine day, he may get an ‘accountant justified’ discount for a personal ‘che sua khua hai’ bungalow on a botak-ed hill (Bukit Relau?).
‘che sua khua hai’ = a home on the hill top overlooking the sea (a fengshui belief).
Don’t have to see the whole episode of Cao Cao of Peking Teochew Opera to understand.
Anil, bo kam guan is more than not being satisfied, it is more like a feeling of wanting to get even.
tunglang, in all honesty, is it too much for a pg’s cm to drive a S300 merz???
You mean bn’s menteri besar they all drive proton or toyota ??? Please compare pakatan’s politicians to that of bn’s and you will see how extravagance the latter’s lifestyles spending rakyat’s sweat money without any guilt…
For goodness’ sake please dont rant about lim guan eng and the s300 merz anymore as it only shows your own pettiness.
kee, I feel very sorry for your disturbing state of cultist’s mind. My advice is for you to go ask The Lord for forgiveness of overt worshipping of a CAT Deity. And I am sure you will (in reciprocal of Lord’s personality) forgive others for ‘hurting’ your political sentiments. And for goodness sake, do differentiate between good opposition & bad sandiwaras in the name of opposing all things BN or Putrajaya. The world is getting smaller, but your brain is not growing but rotting with cha-bo sensitivities. Be a man. There is more to life than a ‘temporary’ CAT Deity… Read more »
And another advice: why not join PPS?
You can be at ‘its’ holier-than-thou side on all occasions, protecting ‘its’ meowing & scratching & swapping 24/7/365.
Reflecting again, I shouldn’t respect your kind of species that trolls to attack on others not in line to your cultist’s thinking. Can’t blame for emulating a leadership that can’t tolerate opposing views or challenges.
Is the state government condoning an illegal entity like Pulau Pinang Samseng
“A city can compare well (and compete successfully) with others only if its identity is proud and unique. Heritage is a source of a city’s pride and one of the things that make a city unique. A hotel, an office tower block, a parking garage — these things can be built anywhere. To sacrifice the heritage of Soonstead” (or Pepper Estate or Hong Seng or the Malay Village at Tanjung Tokong)”to such projects is not development, it is vandalism….Government has the responsibility to act on behalf of the public, past, present and future — not on behalf of some selfish… Read more »
These small people they are punching their frustrations @ anil’s blog just because they can no longer cari makan according to their own selfish ways. I find that Anil has been fair and consistent in his reportings. If Anil was bias he would not have highlighted the botak hills and the land reclamation issues, etc that affected the environment. Some readers like Kevin has got class in his comments, always called a spade a spade and not like some losers here, keep ranting and moaning the same thing over and over. By the way, YB tunglang, I don’t live in… Read more »
Err what is bo kam guan?
Bo Kam Guan means something like not satisfied, Yes not satisfied or afraid of the truth like PPS (allegedly) inflicted with gangster or the polluted CAT that pollute us with … deceit. Ok Ok we Chinese are bodoh like Anwar said but then someone just boh kam guan to have the competent Khalid as MB and instead wants Anwar wife as MB. Is it not strange that they keep insisting on his wife. I wonder why. Remote control from jail and the CAT remote control from here. Frankly by next week we shall know whether Azizah will be a dream… Read more »
Yes some one is spot on right. The people have being gnawed by the ferocious kucing with low cost housing of 72k for 200k – 240k
kee, a thousand apologies.
Anyway, I still have to respect your wishes & opinions, just as I have for Gerakan K, Ananars.
Btw, tunglang has no title, no even a capital T in humbleness.
He suan siau (belittle) you with the YB title. Its not a compliment but an insult
Suan Siau? Maybe.
This world is full of people with insincere intentions & operatives.
Sometimes, being a gentleman is much, much better than being a cha-bo (sensitive lady) if one born on the ‘yang’ side of the sexes. But it doesn’t mean being weak.
Anyway, I am not a paid troll, so no cultist’s hard feelings on behalf of any pay master or worshipped deity.
I recommend all to watch this interesting Ancient Aliens latest episode (shown last nite on History channel on Astro) on the Faces of the Gods:
This has reminded me of the book “Chariots of the Gods” authored in 1968 by Erich von Däniken. It involves the hypothesis that the technologies and religions of many ancient civilizations were given to them by ancient astronauts who were welcomed as gods.
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/chariots-of-the-gods-erich-von-daniken/1100623100?ean=9780425166802#product-commentaries-1
Anil
Were you at the recent briefings on Penang Transport Master Plan (TMP) & its Project Delivery Partner (PDP) with Q&A sessions by YB Chow KY ?
I used to get latest updates from anilnetto.com BUT now The Star appears ahead in terms of latest transport issues.
Wisj anilnetto.com strives to remain relevant to public interest.
btw, we are now at Velloo Villa talking about the progress of anilnetto.com.
Hi Dan I think that briefing was a closed-door one for members of a society. Anyway nothing new there that had not already been said.
What are you eating out there??
just ordered a few curry dishes with rice shared among we retirees. Occassional indulgence.
we hope you continue to patronise otherswise Veloo Villa may (touch wood) share same fate as many not able to sustain (now the boss save electricity bills not light up the place n we think this is not wise).
this weekend Villa may have more customers if those who attend PISA’s Perfect Living Expo drop by; or those vans that shuttle visitors may pull in customers since they are parked nearby.
Anil, the Penang Local Plan is still in hiding?
Or is it still pending more ‘retranslation’ to fit Niau-Kong’s CHANGE agenda?
I surmise it will never surface, not before the MH370 is eventually found.
Err what’s niau kong again?
Niau-Kong: Crafty-Cunning+Patronizing Cat
In Malay, it is parodied as Si Kucing Jantan Bermisai Hitam
sad to find out that anilnetto.com starts to lose credibility in the comments section dominated & hijacked by same boring stuffs.
if not be careful, funding may be affected imacting justice flowing river choked with local shenanigans.
I think a few shills have parked themselves here.
Must we be bullied into accepting the CAT stand on building conservation just like PPS is bullying the media and rakyat … It look like they are no different from Perkasa.
Secret societies infiltrating the PPS?”
http://www.malaysia-today.net/so-who-is-meek-and-who-is-evil-now/
You wonder why so many “sin” businesses opening up in Penang?
I just surmise that with a state ‘publicly endorsed’ volunteer unit to ‘maintain law + order in public view’ in any way (good or evil) it fits their brains fine, infiltrating for own business interest is one assured way to build up “sin” business ‘uninterrupted’ for a longer run.
It’s now a common knowledge among Penangites (except those CAT minions in Sg Petani) that PPS is (allegedly) run by phai-kia tow, among them tycoons.
Pls translate term in last line.
phai-kia tow: head honchos of Chinese gangsters (similar to Japan’s contemporary Yakuza wearing tie & suit)
lu mai kong tang kong sai = you don’t talk east talk west!
Go watch Oh My English! to improve your command of English.
You know what is surmise?
It’s a subjective opinion arrived at after a time.
What kong tang kong sai! Hit your nerves?
MPPP has to follow LGE instructions. That is all.
But then its the CAT and Pakatoon Exco decision is it not
Anil, sometimes I suspect you acted dumb or pretend to be stupid or real stupid in your writings. It doesn’t matter what people, MPPP or even Pakatan ADUNs think. Only what LGE thinks matter. If LGE thinks those old buildings got value, then got value lah. If LGE thinks those hills, beaches or roads got no value then they are of no value lah. When those things got no value, then even Samy Value can’t help but shaking his head observing those no value things one by one being demolished, cut, flatten, etc. The situation is like that since ABU,… Read more »
Anil is stupid in his writings???
Chinese has a saying, “sar pau neow chow chow”, please kaypoh ltd, look yourself in your own p.. before you comment…
His brain will be like this when the going get tough. You semua bodoh bodoh kita smart
Hong Kee Sing Kee KayPoh Ltd, you missed one more thing of no value:
bo bin chui Penangites.
Turning an island into Cosmopolitan Penang only for the rich + famous fits the CAT Deity super fine. Destroying cultural icons & possibly irreplaceable history to perfectly fit the developers’ fancies is more urgent & swap-dealing profitable in an island of “No Money, No Talk”.
No need for one to ‘see’ things happening favourably to CAT agenda with CAT’s eyes from a distance as far away as Sg Petani!
Confirm a listing of building (vintage heritage) to be preserve or conserve. Check with owners if they want to preserve or conserve. If they want to, then provide them with incentives (not necessarily money since they can afford) like tax deduction etc (but then is this federal gomen responsibilites ?) If they don’t want to preserve or conserve but want quick money to demolish them; then get others (eg consortiums) to bid for them. For sure the efforts can be time consuming besides big money involved. The state government must have people priority in mind (eg make sure seniors RM100… Read more »
Again you don`t talk sense. A policy made by the govt and state is what it should be until the people protest for it to be repealed. If the cheap minister insist in continuing to do at his own whim and fancy and we should know what to do at the next GE. Just like the policy by the cheap minister that control prices of houses below 400k. If to follow like what you said, the owner will say why can`t I sell my own property when it is not a LC or PMC and I did not apply it… Read more »
I have lost faith in any building conservation after the Gelakan government tore down the Capitol cinema (plae where I used to date my girlfriends for movies) in Penang!
Capitol is not a heritage building
No need to suck up to the British legacy to define heritage.
Capitol cinema may hold more fond memories for most Penangites than a British colonial building that was a symbol of high society living that ordinary folks cannot relate to.
My fellow ahli majlis, these are not my words. These are the words of YB Lim Kit Siang uttered 20 years ago.
It should be what is the CAT stand on conservation building.
As I see it Bapa Borek, Anak Rintik
If one son drives in a Merc S300Lansi, do you think ‘it’ can still think & relive ‘its’ father sing-song of yesteryears?
Penang should stage more Sandiwara Niau-Kong Ko Tai during the Hungry Ghost Month!
Pls provide translations.
Niau-Kong Ko Tai: Crafty-Cunning+Patronizing Cat Singing Chinese ballads (on stage)