I took these disturbing photos of the environmental destruction on Bukit Gambir from the Penang Bridge on 17 May 2013 as I approached the island.
The bald spot appears to be at an altitude higher than 250 feet, the threshold above which large-scale property development is prohibited.
Which is the relevant authority responsible for monitoring the hills to prevent this sort of environmental destruction? The Penang State Forestry Department? Shouldn’t these hills, especially the hill-tops, be gazetted permanent forest reserves?
Will we hear from the relevant authorities? Or will they just sit back and pretend the problem doesn’t exist while the culprits go scot free?
A municipal councillor on mainland Penang spoke to me this morning expressing concern about this as well.
The hills of Penang belong to all of us (and future generations as well) and we have a shared responsibility to exercise environmental stewardship over them.
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Check out google map. Key in “Bukit Gambir, Penang” , then switch to Satelite map. And prepare to shout WTF.
We live in 21 century with all sort of sensor and cheap electronic gadget that 70’s James bond doesn’t have. Yet the local municipal councils still use the 70’s proactive method that wait people kick their a$$ to take action on this kinda mass scale forest destruction.
I went up this evening. Unfortunately what you see there is only about 10% of the whole thing! It looks like the lunar landscape with a lane wide enough to fit 2 vehicles across. PLUS, its on both sides of the hill so the other side facing Payar Terubong has also been destroyed. When the rains come, the whole stream will carry all the mud down with it as there are no longer any trees holding it together. This SURELY can’t be legal. Unbelievable. It seems it has been done in the last couple of months with a big step… Read more »
Please send me photos if you can, so that people can better visualise the destruction.
Will do. Have a few friends hashing there tonight. I’ve asked them to take photos. Should have a few shots by tomorrow.
Didn’t bring my camera yesterday as I thought The Star covered it in detail. Should’ve known better as it was totally inadequate.
Great, Joe! You may send them by clicking “Submit photos” at the top of the blog masthead.
Don’t complain lah. The state dap gomen is powerless, clueless and wrongless. Just tutup satu mata.
Gerakan K,
Don`t be just like a stupid idiot sycophants of UMNO. Are you for the rape of the hill or for being an idiot sycophants of UMNO & Perkasa. Read this dude.
Cameron hills ‘rape’ just tip of the iceberg
http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=102702:cameron-hills-rape-just-tip-of-the-iceberg&Itemid=2
There is now great demand for “Chey Shua, Khua Hai” (Sit On Hill, See The Sea) bungalow homes for the rich & famous in Penang. The same phenomena happened in Balik Pulau, Betong & Relau Hills where private hill lands are ‘quietly’ turned into ‘botak hills’ for gated communities of bungalows with no trees or shrubs to obstruct their 180ยบ or more sea views (never mind that we are experiencing heat waves. Got multi-level aircon mah) Now who approved such ‘botak-ing’ of our scarce green hills & when? One fine day when we have no more green hills & trees,… Read more »
That patch if I am not mistaken has been there for more than 20 years maybe not so big, On the way up there is a temple.
Yang, this ‘Kojak’ patch is way higher than the one (mid-hill) patch with a temple & sea view. The short jungle path up to the 20 yrs old mid-hill open patch you mentioned was a favourite mud path for 4WD novices. I wonder what has become of this off road with the mindless ‘botak-ing’ of this once serene hills for the deities & jungle datuk-kongs & 4-ekor diehards?
I read an article a few years back…it briefly mentioned that Berjaya planned on developing some hill resort. I always assumed that it would be located on Penang Hill…can someone confirm this? I feel that Penangites are now more aware and more confident in raising important issues. That’s something we have learnt these past 5 years….our voices MATTER. Demand answers from: Phee Boon Poh Jagdeep Singh Deo Chow Kon Yeow Lim Guan Eng YDP Patahiyah Jabatan Pelesenan MPPP I’m appalled that local authorities “allowed” this to happen. Surely, someone should have said something when the first few trees were chopped… Read more »
I think the Berjaya thing was pursued in the 1990s. I believe Koh Tsu Koon played for time when he told the company that any developent plan would only be considered after the Penang Hill Local Plan was formulated.
Koh was also sensitive to the likely political fallout and public uproar that would have ensued, given the huge outcry in 1990 over the Save Penang Hill campaign, which might have contributed to Lim Chong Eu’s defeat to Kit Siang in Padang Kota in the 1990 general election.
Perhaps the penalty to the offender is not severe enough. I think the state government should pass laws to punish offenders, including confiscation of the land in question should the owner or his agent blatantly carry out land clearing activities without approval or the jailing of offenders if such activities are carried out on public land or land which does not belong to the offender.
I was at penang last wednesday (15th May) and saw this too .
Check with Penang State Land Office, a citizens right!