The state has a great opportunity to do something for the people. But will it? Or will it pander to developers’ interests?
Remember, many moons ago, the state granted this land for a pittance as it was originally zoned for recreational use for the people (horse racing).
But then, in the 2000s, during Barisan Nasional rule, some ‘wise guy’ surreptitiously rezoned this land as “mixed development”, making a huge unrealised revaluation profit for certain parties. What a loss to the state/public coffers/ordinary people!
This video by Andrew Han
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JOHOR BARU: The price of the BAS.MY 30-day Unlimited Travel Pass for stage buses nationwide has been reduced from RM50 to RM30 per month, allowing the public to enjoy unlimited rides for as low as RM1 a day.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the price reduction, effective immediately, would not only help ease the people’s cost of living but also enable them to save between RM200 and RM300 each month.
Is RapidPenang offering similar deal? It should provide free rides to senior citizens above 60 years old.
Developers piece part land development a strategy to bend the recreational Vs commercial rulings, so that in no time all the ex racecourse land integrated as condo cum shopping heaven or hell depending where n who you are
GEORGE TOWN: Penang is the best island in South-East Asia for food, according to a new list of the region’s “best islands” by National Geographic.
In its Travel section, the publication said Penang earned the second place in its list due to its food, blending heritage, culture and world class dining.
The report highlights the one-star Auntie Gaik Lean’s Old School Eatery, famous for nasi ulam priced at RM35. It also spotlights the bustling Kimberley Street Food Night Market where visitors can sample koay teow soup and duck kway chap.
The upgrading of Penang Port, the expansion of Penang International Airport, the construction of the Mutiara Line Light Rail Transit (LRT) and the upgrading of the Juru-Sungai Dua Expressway will continuously improve the connectivity and competitiveness of Penang and the NCER, including as a catalyst for regional development, especially archaeology-based tourism.
Pre-Parameswara era ship wooden plank discovery sheds new light on Melaka history – shipbuilding technology.
https://www.nst.com.my/amp/news/nation/2025/10/1306122/pre-parameswara-era-ship-wooden-plank-discovery-sheds-new-light-melaka
Archaeology-based tourism in Visit Malaysia 2026, to highlight the local professor’s claim that the Romans learnt shipbuilding from the Malays?
S’pore is doing good work on history and archeology across the region. However, it has yet to be able to do anything in Bujang Valley, that the colonial British discovered.
Bujang Valley is the historic site of Hindu civilisation in peninsula Malaya, long before Arabisation. The local history professors are reluctant (or are told) not to publicise the fact to enhance the Islamisation of this part of the world.
That is the point isn’t it. The local historians or academia do not want to or like to talk about the history of Malaya before 1400 AD.
Now regarding the Romans learning about boat making from Malays, in which period of our history did this took place?
Did it take place before 1400 AD or after 1400 AD ? Were the Romans here visiting our country back then ?
Further, ” UPM defends research on ‘Malay Jongs’, says ‘different interpretations’ are good ” dd 23 January, 2024
Link – https://www.scoop.my/news/159768/upm-defends-research-on-malay-jongs-says-different-interpretations-are-good/
And the rebuttal by the French historian, and the link –
https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/01/1005467/upms-defence-joke-says-french-historian-disputed-academic-paper
If the Romans could sail to Southeast Asia, why would they need to learn about ship-building from the locals?
https://focusmalaysia.my/common-sense-triumphs-over-academic-theories/
During the Roman Empire and the ancient kingdoms of Kedah, the inhabitants in the peninsula were very different from the Malays of today. They were Hindus, Buddhists or practised animism. Islam was founded 500 years later and spread by Arab traders.
The Penang Green Summit 2025 will be held from 31st October – 1st November 2025 at the Penang Waterfront Convention Centre (PWCC). Themed “Moving Towards Sustainable Energy”, the summit will bring together industry leaders, government representatives, academics, and cross-sectoral stakeholders for two days of high-level dialogue, strategies partnerships, and actionable outcomes.
The summit will focus on the most pressing energy challenges of our time, explore cutting-edge technologies, and identify viable pathways towards a resilient, low-carbon future. This reflects Penang’s strong and growing commitment to environmental sustainability and energy transition.
Penang has taken another major step toward sustainable urban resilience with the launch of a RM24.7 million road upgrading project around Lebuh Pantai, Pesara King Edward, Pengkalan Weld, and Gat Lebuh Chulia — one of the key initiatives under the Nature-Based Climate Adaptation Programme for the Urban Areas of Penang Island (PNBCAP). Union Square at Lebuh Union will be transformed into a new pocket park.
Beach Street of Penang, once a waterfront artery for commerce and now a bustling financial centre, has been selected as the starting point for Penang’s ambitious plan to cool down its inner city and return its streets to people, not just cars.
The Penang Island City Council (MBPP) is launching a RM24.7 million pilot project that will transform a 1.76km loop around Beach Street into a climate-responsive, pedestrian-friendly zone.
Between 2019 and 2024, Penang has seen significant reductions in energy intensity (19% annually), water intensity (22%), and industrial waste sent to landfill (24%).
The state continues to align with the national energy transition roadmap, with current efforts focusing on energy transition agendas, sustainable energy solutions, and building capacity within both institutions and communities for long-term success.
Penang should look to Singapore for racecourse redevelopment inspiration before they build another uninspiring car-dependent development.
https://news.futuresoutheastasia.com/p/penang-turf-club-redevelopment-how-penang-should-look-to-singapore-for-inspiration
Any development is sadly very car dependent otherwise few people will be interested if not accessible by private cars. People in Penang are just reticent when given the choice of public transportation, never mind long period stuck in traffic congestion.
That’s because the public transport system and inter-connectivity is so poor. You dont see the same kind of reticence in Singapore.
Singapore COE is at least S$100k for a car useable 10 years on the road.
In other words, each car is contributing S$27.40/day for the next 10 years to the Singapore government to pay for better public transportation.
Penang government can similarly make car ownership very expensive on the island (eg. Electronic Road Pricing) and use the money collected to subsidise public transportation.
Singapore made car ownership very expensive, high COE, high price, high road tax, high price petrol…
What is your opinion? Should Singapore make all these cheap?
Singapore MRT system map today, covered entire island, funded by COE collection?
Penang’s public transport can be improved by increasing the number of buses and improving their reliability, creating more dedicated bus lanes, and enhancing first-mile/last-mile connectivity, particularly in peripheral areas.
Improve the user experience through better information systems, revitalizing existing bus stops, and potentially implementing new feeder bus alongside integrated urban planning.
The Ministry of Transport will upgrade the Butterworth Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd station near here with an allocation of RM30 million, in an effort to turn Penang Sentral into the main transport hub in Seberang Perai. Its Minister Anthony Loke said it is a project under the Fifth Rolling Plan of the 12th Malaysia Plan. The Mutiara Line LRT, the expansion of the LTAPP and air cargo terminal, and the upgrading of the Butterworth KTM station, would become the pulse of Penang’s development.
Traffic congestion in Penang is very bad. No choice from the government to impose higher parking fees and road tax to force people to use RapidPenang.
No need to fully adopt Singapore practices. Penang should reserve nature, not making artificial man-made attractions like in Singapore.
Those who oppose the Penang LRT project are going against the wishes of the people who want relief from the daily traffic jams, says Lim Guan Eng.
The former chief minister said no one in the state opposed the LRT except opposition politicians, including those from MCA.
Among those who support the project, how will they travel from their homes to Komtar, Penang Sentral or other LRT stations? If they drive there, where will they park?
Problem can be easily settled by providing shuttle bus from housing estates to LRT stations during morning and evening peak hours.
Bersatu Youth please tell us where is the law that says minister must speak in Malay in any government or public functions? If there is none YB Nga did no wrong as his target audience were foreigners and definitely do not know Malay language. Why also this youth leader did not complain when the entire ASEAN summit meeting was conducted in English?
If you want to do business internationally, you need to speak English, and soon Mandarin. Realistically Malay language is of little commercial value outside the country.
Machine/AI translation made these minor issues some time ago. Enforcers at borders use phone translation to communicate with arriving people who claim not to understand them.
In trade, what matters above all is sustained quality and price, not marketing BS. US is trying to get force its unwanted products/services down the throats of others through threats.
Human touch and people relationship (关系 Guānxì) is still needed when you do business in China.
About 30% of the 1.2 million National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) loan defaulters were found to be able to afford holidays abroad.
http://www.nst.com.my/amp/news/nation/2025/10/1302167/30pct-ptptn-loan-defaulters-found-holidaying-abroad-despite-debts
The passports of loan defaulters should be frozen to prevent overseas travel until they start to repay the PTPTN loan.
This is an old story. Many retired without paying. Some had been in government service or a government enterprise.
Beyond higher ed. loans, many other services (rent, utilities, etc.) remain unpaid. About 3 days ago, I saw a shocking headline that PTPTN may give grants: no need to repay.
There could be three generations in a family get free PTPTN.
Penang: Over a hundred PPR residents at Taman Manggis face possible eviction
The state housing board had investigated and found that several families earned a combined income of up to RM3,000 while some of them, also have two vehicles living there.
https://www.thevibes.com/articles/news/114916/penang-coastal-park-development-sparks-controversy-amid-resident-protests
Developers eyeing every single piece of green space on Penang coastal sites to turn into commercial hub, annoying the residents, and Zairil asks for patience?
Pemimpin tertinggi Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) akan memutuskan cadangan, termasuk kemungkinan bekerjasama dengan Perikatan Nasional (PN) bagi membentuk pakatan pilihan raya.
Pengerusi PSM Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj bagaimanapun menegaskan mereka akan mengelak bekerjasama dengan mana-mana parti yang memainkan isu kaum dan agama.
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/bahasa/tempatan/2025/10/25/psm-akan-putus-cadangan-kerjasama-dengan-pn-kata-dr-jeyakumar
PSM is so desperate that it is contradicting itself.
Jeya to “joget” with Hadi to accelerate to downfall of PSM?
Why not engage and persuade NGOs like Aliran to make bold steps being 3rd Force combo in next GE?
PSM wish to ‘mengelak bekerjasama dengan mana-mana parti yang memainkan isu kaum dan agama’, yet can entertain the idea of collaborating with Bersatu and PAS? Seems like PSM is lost in wilderness – Parti Sesat Malaysia?
Why PSM choose to ignore the known fact that these two parties are racist in nature? Maybe it is trying to appeal to frustrated voters that are as ignorant as them?