Penang quit rent for residential areas will rise by 29–127%, so says a news report.
I am not surprised. Did you really think all those mega-projects, questionable land deals, easy reclamation rights (classified as freehold instead of leasehold) and lopsided deals, would not come at a price in the end? That it would not hurt your pockets in the long run?
What has happened to Penang’s reserves, which have dwindled from RM1.2bn in 2019 to just RM156m in 2024? Tell us, where did all that money go?
For instance, how much has the state spent on CCTV cameras since 2008? How much did the state have to pay for highway construction?
Who pays for the construction of the LRT (when the federal government debt is already RM1.3tn)? Who do you think? What happened to that financing model – that no public funds would be involved in the building of the infrastructure as it would all be financed by sales of reclaimed land? Kaput.
And what happens if the proposed LRT fails to meet ridership projections? Who absorbs the losses in the end? Guess who. It’s not difficult.
It really is not rocket science. This is what happens when you spend beyond your means.
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https://m.aliran.com/thinking-allowed-online/why-walking-to-a-penang-bus-stop-feels-like-hiking-up-a-hill
Time to upgraded long neglected pathways leading to bus stops in Penang.
What is the follow up from Aliran?
Need to be persistent in championing this matter.
Action louder than words.
We hope NGOs can engage CM Chow to upgrade all walkways to be pleasantly safe and comfortable for pedestrians, long neglected since Gerakan days and still not resolved by DAP.
Parents alert,
If your teenage children idolise and watch Japan anime Demon Slayer or Netflix’s Chainsaw Man, be alert about their mental conditioning that killing is common way to relieve problems.
With knifes easily available thru internet shopping, school yards can never be safe with psychologically disturbed teenagers influenced by those reckless violent TV series.
Kids these days don’t watch Tom Jerry, Scooby Doo or Teletubbies.
Teenagers below the age of 16 could soon be barred from using smartphones as the government moves to curb the rising tide of bullying and violence in schools.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said this was among three immediate measures proposed by the cabinet to address the problem.
Majority of the so-called Influencers are actually transmitting bad influences and bad lifestyle notably to spend money on products and services that they profit from. Young people are programmed to waste their money on things based on wants, not needs.
Roblox is a very bad for young people. It may just be a game but it promotes lots of bad behaviours and kids are influenced subconsciously!
What’s so scary about Roblox, the online gaming platform that is scaring parents and governments
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2025/11/12/whats-so-scary-about-roblox-the-online-gaming-platform-that-is-scaring-parents-and-governments/198143
Children getting onto social media platforms or playing mobile games unsupervised leaving them vulnerable to possible predators or developing gaming addiction.
Now can watch Pinkfong, Pororo, Baby Shark… Old folks watch Looney Tunes cartoon.
Violence in school in Malaysia (rape and murder)!
Students too free because no UPSR and PMR exams? Or is it due to internet influences?
Should we ban social media for those below 16 as the Australian government has passed such regulation?
Traffic remains a major concern, especially for travellers heading to key terminals like the Penang International Airport. There must be a better coordination and investment in public transport, including more buses, improved connectivity and proper parking bays.
Penang’s strength lies in its food, heritage and culture. But we must get the basics right, like maintaining our facilities, keeping walkways clear and ensuring hygiene so tourists feel safe and welcome.
Priority wrongly set.
Should upgrade and beautify pedestrian walk along Pitt Street (Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling) n Little Indiana sidewalks which are more appealing to tourists, than present investment to upgrade Komtar vicinity that lack appeals to local n foreign tourist when Komtar proven to be a failed mega project (saved by government offices).
CM Chow said that to ease the financial impact on all landowners in Penang, the state government has introduced a quit rent rebate mechanism starting in 2026.
A 32.5% quit rent rebate will be implemented in 2026, followed by a 20% rebate in both 2027 and 2028. The rebate will benefit all landowners in the state, regardless of land category or usage.
How is this rebate suppose to benefit our Rakyat in Penang ?
The state government wants to raise the quit rent rate by 29 % to 200% for the next 10 years starting from 2026, on a flimsy excuse that the state has not raise the rates for the past 30 years and that their reserve funds are low.
Do they know how to manage their finance or not ?
Now everything goes up in price. Your salary also go up. Naturally quit rent will go up. This is inflation.
Just go KFC, now dinner plate needs at leat RM25.
Menu price may look the same, but you will have to buy drinks separately. Fast food now not cheap as prices go up in tandem with Oriental Kopi.
The great thing about getting into political power is that you can not only raise expenditure irrelevent to the public (you get to decide when/how to turn on the tap of gushing wealth) but can also extract revenue for that expenditure in various ways. In the case of retail transactions, this is surreptitious. Propaganda takes care of spinning this as great beneolence.
In early November 2025, Chow thanked the Prime Minister for approving a significant list of development projects for Penang under the 13MP’s first rolling plan, with more details to follow. Earlier, the state government had submitted a list of 10 priority projects for consideration, with many being accepted.
Penang chief minister Chow Kon Yeow has urged the federal government to reconsider its rejection of the Penang International Financial Centre plan, saying the project is vital to the state’s long-term growth.
Chow (PH-Batu Kawan) said the state needed a new economic catalyst to stay competitive and move beyond its reliance on the electrical and electronics, and tourism sectors.
Financial centre is good – Penang financial centre will mean work activities round the clock to interact with the work. Surely can have more economic spinoff as better return of assets since businesses can round 24 hours, not just 7-11.
Financial centre – or gimmick to attract expensive property buyers to prevent a glut?
Why are you so negative? Is it because not happy cannot afford the new property in Penang? You can always relocate to Kedah or Perlis.
To buy a RM700,000 house in Malaysia, a net monthly salary of at least RM4,667 is required to meet a maximum affordable monthly payment of RM2,800. A more realistic target may be a gross monthly salary of RM7,000 to RM8,500 to comfortably manage the loan repayments, especially when considering a Debt-to-Income (DTI) ratio limit of around 30-40%.
Chow said the proposed PIFC has the potential to become a significant economic catalyst for the country, not just for Penang. The centre could play a transformative role in positioning Malaysia as a competitive player in the global financial ecosystem while reinforcing Penang’s role as a strategic economic hub.
Budget 2026: Malaysians aged 18 and above will get another round of RM100 Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) aid in February, says Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. The RM100 will be channelled to 22 million Malaysians in the middle of February 2026.
A health think tank says the government’s move to raise cigarette tax by just two sen per stick in the 2026 budget is a missed opportunity to boost revenue and curb smoking.
The Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy said increasing the duty to 77 sen per stick would lift its share of the retail price to 61% and add RM771.8 million to the country’s coffers.
Oct 3 — The Social Security Organisation (Socso) is paying out nearly US$100 million (RM421 million) a year for sugar-related diseases such as diabetes, Human Resources Minister Steven Sim said today.
‘Kurang Manis’ should be the way of life, else you may get your feet amputated due to diabetes!
Insulin resistance and stress are critical. Try these or read up:
-Eat veg., protein, carb. in that order; chew well
-Reduce all light veg/seed/nut oils; after 6 months, increase exposure to sunlight
-Keep daily total fats/oils by weight to =< ~10%
-Reduce canned food (due to can lining), sugar, very sweet fruit
– Try potato (not fried), coconut oil, palm fruit juice/kernel oil, raisin, krill oil, black sesame, flaxseed, garlic, tumeric, cinnamon, mustard, fenugreek, AC vinegar.
This Penang Street Food Tour
https://youtube.com/watch?v=cIIy7Za5XMk
From banana leaf curry to cendol, every dish had a story behind it.
National Geographic described Penang as “a Southeast Asian culinary escape that doesn’t get much better,” highlighting George Town’s UNESCO World Heritage charm, vibrant street food culture, and the island’s unique blend of Chinese, Indian, and Malay influences. From humble hawker stalls to Michelin-starred dining, Penang continues to delight every kind of foodie.
Penang has once again proven why it reigns supreme as Malaysia’s food capital and one of the world’s most celebrated culinary destinations.
The island state has earned a remarkable 74 spots in The Michelin Guide Kuala Lumpur & Penang 2026, reinforcing its well-deserved title as the “Food Paradise” of Asia.
By saving RM2,500 every year into EPF’s i-Saraan (a total of RM25,000 over 10 years), you could end up with an estimated RM39,000 at the end of the 10 years.
i-Saraan offers a government incentive on your voluntary EPF contributions, providing a 20% matching contribution up to a maximum of RM500 annually, which is credited directly into your Account 1. This incentive has a lifetime cap of RM5,000, or until you turn 60, and helps grow your retirement savings through compounding and EPF dividends.
Parents can open an EPF account for children below 18, to which EPF adds some amount. When they reach 18, EPF sends it to the child’s own bank account. This another attempt to teach financial prudence (common sense).
Oct 10 — Gig, e-hailing and p-hailing workers will soon receive higher government support under the i-Saraan Plus scheme, with matching contribution incentives of up to RM600 a year, or RM6,000 for life.
TomTom data from 2024 named George Town, Penang, the city with the worst traffic congestion in Malaysia. Drivers in George Town lost approximately 75 hours per year to rush hour traffic, averaging a travel time of 26 minutes and 36 seconds per 10 kilometers. George Town ranked 73rd globally in terms of worst traffic congestion among 500 cities surveyed.
And yet, we have only about 300 buses in the state.
Strong affinity to car ownership?
Even free bus may not encourage more ridership?
Fear of being considered low-class, and poor service.
Most Malaysians are programmed from young that they only ‘arrive’ when they own and drive a German “BBA” – BMW, Benz (Mercedes-Benz), or Audi.
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2025/11/14/kedah-umno-slams-koks-call-to-federalise-langkawi
========
Understanding sensitivity and respect goes both ways. The general population, our Rakyat, understands this well.
The issue is whether the politicians—who often seem less aware—understand it as well, especially when they practice opportunistic pretense on sensitive matters.
What have these politicians and the opposition got to say about Kedah MB’s statements on Penang state status.
The issue concerning the status of Penang should be addressed to the British, not the current Penang state government. The northern state had the opportunity to resolve this matter during the discussions on independence and the drafting of our Federal Constitution. However, they did not do so and ultimately agreed to the final version of the Constitution. Before independence, Penang, Malacca, and Singapore were part of the Straits Settlements — British Crown Colonies directly governed by Britain. Today, Penang is a full-fledged Malaysian state — neither leased nor dependent. Prior to independence, Penang was under British authority, and any payments… Read more »
Legally, this meant there was no longer a separate “foreign” power owing payment to Kedah — both states became part of the same sovereign nation. The Federal Constitution of Malaya (and later Malaysia) does not mention or require any form of annual payment between states. Continuing the honorarium was therefore a political decision — a gesture of goodwill by the Federal Government — not a constitutional obligation. Therefore, the payment should be stopped. There is no legal obligation for either the Federal or Penang state government to continue it. In fact, to correct this historical mistake, the Penang state government… Read more »
We have dicussed this before when this issue was raised. Read the link below. https://www.thevibes.com/articles/news/115407/stop-harassing-us-penang-exco-tells-kedah-mb We the Rakyat of Penang state are asking, “Why is the State or Federal Government still paying Kedah the so-called “honorarium” for Penang, even after Merdeka? ” That payment should have stopped the moment we gained independence and the Federal Constitution came into force. The payment began under British rule as compensation to Kedah after Penang was taken by the East India Company. But once both Penang and Kedah became equal states in independent Malaya, there was no reason for one state to keep paying the other.… Read more »
Worse still, the payment gives the false impression that Penang is on lease from Kedah — as if the state isn’t fully part of Malaysia. Because of this, some now treat the payment like rent and are even demanding an increase to RM100 million. That’s absurd. It’s also baffling that our past leaders agreed to increase the honorarium to RM10 million in the first place. For what? Did they not realize that such a move would strengthen the mistaken idea that Penang is “leased”? This issue should have been settled right after independence. We are one nation now. There is… Read more »
Then in 2022 the State newspaper reported in November 2022 ( election year ), that the State’s reserve funds stands at RM2,004,586,100.95. Read the link below, https://www.buletinmutiara.com/penang-records-more-than-rm2-billion-in-state-reserves/ In the news report below, the State now claims that in 2019 they had only about RM1.15 billion and after spending for various programs between 2019 to 2024, the State now claims to have only RM155.94 million as at end of 2024. Link below, https://www.msn.com/en-my/money/economy/penang-to-rebuild-finances-after-rm1b-welfare-aid-cuts-reserves-to-rm155m/ar-AA1Mk8Xz And one of the ways the State plans to increase state revenue is by increasing land taxes ( Cukai Tanah). Ask the CM. So far, he and the rest… Read more »
BUKIT MERTAJAM (Nov 8): The federal government will extend the Penang Light Rail Transit (LRT) project alignment to Seberang Perai to ensure balanced development in the state that benefits all segments of the people, regardless of race, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Anwar said he personally decided on it after reviewing the original proposal, which only involved areas on the island without connecting the line to the mainland.
We, the Rakyat, believe that the earlier planners who designed the LRT route may have been short-sighted, focusing only on improving the island and therefore planning the route from the airport to Komtar.
After the Federal government took over the project, they corrected the State government’s planning oversight.
There are approximately 1.1 million tax-paying voters on the mainland.
Can the State government inform the Rakyat, where their tax money is going?
What development plans have been made to improve the well-being of the mainland residents?
We are not talking about prices of goods rising and inflation. Do not change the subject. To those state apologist, please pay attention. We are talking about the state’s reserve funds which seem to differ, big gaps from a certain year to certain year. From 2018 to 2020, it was reported that the state of Penang had around RM 1.8 billion + to RM 2.10 Billion. In 2021, it was reported that the state had around RMRM2.10 billion in 2020 but the State claims that due to a large allocation for Covid 19 epidemic, the State reserves went down to RM 1.82… Read more »
Silicon Island Development Sdn Bhd unveiled Phase 1 of the Green Tech Park at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, marking another milestone in the creation of Penang’s next-generation hub for high-value and sustainable E&E (Electronics & Electrical) industries.
To date, up to 250 acres of the Island has been reclaimed. The Green Tech Park is the flagship industrial precinct within Penang’s visionary Silicon Island development. Designed as a future-
ready smart city that integrates sustainability, innovation and technology.
https://www.businesstoday.com.my/2025/10/28/penang-unveils-green-tech-park-silicon-islands-flagship-smart-city/
Penang new update:
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1Bba6LHyJc/
The headings is laughable. Where can you get things free of charge, other than SARA RM100?
Well, that was what the state government promised with its “PTMP”. That the government with sell off the reclaimed land on the 3 islands and use the money to finance the construction of the PIL and LRT. It would be ‘free’ in the sense that no existing public funds would be used.
Look close enough and you will find some things that the Rakyat of Penang are enjoying free of charge at the expense of the state.
For example, are there any toll charges for any new roads build on the Penang island especially those build to cut travelling time.
Then, when the state reserves dwindle very much less than what Gerakan left behind, they find the easy way out by taxing us Rakyat.
Further, another example is what Luca has given below, free bus services introduced by the state, costing them tens of millions in tax payers money and other aids costing hundreds of millions.
We, the Rakyat contention is this. Do not spend Rakyat’s tax money freely and unnecessarily, then later complain that the state is running low on reserve funds, then go and squeeze us Rakyat for more money by taxing us.
Just because you do not take bus does not mean you can run down the bus service. Nothing wrong to squeeze money from car drivers to alleviate traffic congestion and encourage them to adopt public buses.
Why say squeeze the car users ? You mean to say that the Federal and the State are not squeezing enough now that they must further squeeze the car users some more. Why can’t the regular bus users use the regular buses services and pay for that little bit of bus fare.
Why the State must spend Tax payer money in millions for free bus services for just a few and then claim not enough money in the State’s reserve fund and go on to tax the us Rakyat some more.
You think all car users are rich ? You think we State Rakyat are growing money in our backyard ?
If you think all car users are rich, why hasn’t the Federal government introduced the car age limit policy ? Read the link below,
https://autofreaks.com/the-12-years-cap-on-lifespan-of-cars-in-malaysia-has-been-scrapped-for-now/
https://next.myc.my/articles/1355/transport-minister-rules-out-vehicle-age-limit-in-malaysia
If not rich better learn to take public bus. Get use to the arrival time of buses and develop a good habit of patience.
Please lah, don’t simply talk if you do not know about bus schedules and the routes they take. Maybe where you live you have buses coming and going every half an hour, more or less.
Where we live, we have bus stops with no one waiting, with buses rarely passing by. What do you expect the Rakyat to do ?
Just because you want less cars on the road, you want us to wait for six to seven hours or more just to get a bus? Even your LRT does not cover the whole of Penang state.
We, the Rakyat are also suffering with low funds just the same. Not all of us are rich enough to support the State’s wishes when it comes to taxing us Rakyat.
So, dispense this bad habit of taxing us Rakyat for the state’s poor management of Rakyat’s tax money by giving lame excuses and reasons.
You want toll charges for new roads build on the Penang island especially those build to cut travelling time?
Why do you ask such a question ? Would any member of our Rakyat want tolls to be placed on roads?
Happy Deepavali to all.
May the divine light of Deepavali shine bright in your life, illuminating your path to success .
PAS Tuan Ibrahim (PN-Kubang Kerian) has questioned the balance of national development, claiming that more focus has been given to Penang. He pointed out that Penang received RM16.8 billion in funding for a light rail transit (LRT) project, while efforts to complete the East Coast Expressway have been sidelined.
https://m.malaysiakini.com/news/758253
PAS cannot handle finance.
No development in their four states.
They only preach good life in afterlife!
Now they complain Chinese having functions with liquor on school compound. PAS has no constructive feedback to contribute to economy simply because they are uneducated and clueless.
Penang should emulate Sarawak. The government under Premier Abg Jo have done so much in such a short term and have rightfully fought for what belongs to the Sarawak folks
By your reasoning, Abang Jo should have allowed Santubong Beer in Sarawak?
https://www.therakyatpost.com/news/2025/09/19/locally-produced-santubong-beer-pulled-from-shelves-after-facing-government-backlash/
Do not think too highly of Sarawak.
Until they abolish the dasar ekonomi baru in the state for parity regardless of race.
The investigating officer tasked with probing the Penang undersea tunnel project told the sessions court hearing Lim Guan Eng’s graft trial that the RM6.3 billion project was a “land scam”. He said the probe focussed on allegations of power abuse, corruption and dishonest misappropriation of property involving Lim.
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2025/10/14/penang-undersea-tunnel-project-a-land-scam-guan-engs-trial-told
Malaysian opposition party Bersatu’s lack of discipline has given PAS more control. Bersatu’s infighting has weakened it and given conservative coalition partner PAS the upper hand, say ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute researchers.
For many Malays, the Bersatu and PAS union serves as a counter to UMNO’s system of entrenched patronage. But constant feuds risk alienating Malay voters who value stability and clarity of leadership.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/malaysia-politics-bersatu-muhyiddin-azmin-wan-saiful-pas-5388036
Development means building more at public cost to replace nature, even in the sea, regardless of environmental impact, benefit, cost and alternative needs, especially through “negotiated” contracts. We are getting some crumbs from the table now. So let us be “united” in supporting more development. Maybe Mat Salleh will recognise our developed status. 😉
Many still cannot recognise the existence of Rapid Penang, now that RON95 is RM1.99/litre for 300l/month.