A delegation from Penang Forum, a coalition of 14 Penang-based NGOs, met Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng this evening to discuss areas of concern.
The frank three-hour dialogue touched on a broad range of sustainable development and planning issues including the Penang Island Local Plan and when it could be implemented; density and congestion problems; public transport and the Penang Transport Masterplan. The activists stressed the importance of affordable housing, a land reclamation policy and green spaces. Concerns about Spice were also raised.
Penang Forum acknowledged positive changes in Penang as well including improvements in cleanliness, the ‘no plastic bags’ initiative and the open tender system.
The 13 activists attending the meeting, held in the Operations Room of the Chief Minister’s Office on Level 28, included representatives of Aliran, Malaysian Nature Society, Consumers Association of Penang and Penang Heritage Trust.
Also present were Penang state exco member for local government Chow Kon Yeow, state exco member for public works, utilities and transport Lim Hock Seng, MPPP MPSP President Patahiyah Ismail Maimunah Mohd Sharif, senior MPPP officials, and Penang Hill Corporation general manager Lee Kah Choon.
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Yang
We use our brains and not swayed by sentiments. While difficult to get an affordable new house in penang is frustrating, we should see bigger picture and not jump into the boats of those with specific agenda in mind.
Sze Tho
You definitely have a more logical mind than Ah Soon, who sadly have hatred for Guan Eng to the extent that he (may have lost) his moral principles to be a logical thinker these days.
btw, i don’t pro Pakatan or Barisan either but somehow the former makes more sensible decisions than the more corrupted later.
Syiok Syiok, I am not being swayed by sentiments. I am trying to point out the facts as I have heard lot and lot of complaints from the people. I have even written and highlighted to LGE, Ng Wei Aik, Jeff Ooi and all the PR MP on this problems that they must solve before they start getting bounced cheque from the people. This election they may be safe but not the next one. A SEMI D house bought 32 years ago at only 26,000/= plus. is now worth 900k. In 2007, bought 900+ sq ft unit at 145k is… Read more »
Yang, you post is somewhat puzzling. What has the appreciation of preoperties as mentioned got to do with the issue at hand? You want to compare prices from 32 years ago?
The deal with SP Setia involves several other works including the new SPICE, repairing the PISA and other sites. As mentioned in other posts, there will be LMC built in Batu Kawan. Don’t make sweeping statements based on selected points, please.
Mr Yang,
You can either:
1) Hope for an LMC,
2)Join Mr Tunglang @ Belum Forest (plenty of fresh air and greens).
3)Come to Singapore to work smart & hard a few years & go home & buy your dream house.
Please do not waste too much time in wrong analysis. I pray for Salvation.
Housing land on the Penang island is in short supply and with an ever increasing population comes a greater demand for housing, hence the inevitable increase in property prices over time.
To mitigate these escalating prices, the housing stock will have to be increased and one of the ways to do that is through land reclaimation.
Everyone has self motive. Wanted affordable house but complain about increase in density and cutting hills or land reclamation in the sea – no traffic studies but when build additional roads – complain and wanted bicycle lanes when the riders are Ah peks and Ah Dees number in hundreds. Even PAP’s Sinkapore Government with their mighty Sink Dollars have a hard time and why not join politics and the third force if they can really solve the problems.
What plain truth? Say it to BN if BN recapture Penang! You only twist and turn when there is a controversy plaguing your hero. Why Penang Forum want to see the CM? This is the group of NGOs which unashamedly supported LGe blindly. Now it has no choice but to confront LGe with all his wrong doing, seem like my accusations and allegations against LGe are proven beyond doubt now. Too bad!
Please spare your breath Ah Soon. NGOs met CM to discuss their concerns like adults. Not rant and talk shop without facts like you. Pathethic..
Anil, did you get angpao ??? Opss, not angpao but transport allowance ???
Nope. Never crossed our minds.
And we had dinner after that at our own expense at a coffee shop in New Lane near the old Magazine Circus 🙂
Oh please, Gerakan K, don’t degrade everyone to your level. You are a self-declared rent seeker but Anil, for one, is not like you.
Cheap shots from GK. What else can he do?
And what was the substantive outcome of the meeting? No use telling us you met the Penang State Govt without giving us all the details Anil. Remember FOI??? CAT???
Aiyaa! Another public relation or PR exercise ! Our president don’t like any of us to talk anything bad about LGe. What do you expect? Change the president come the next AGM! After 308 no more buddy! …
Ah Soon is still smarting from the rejection of the BESTest of Best Environmental, Ecological, Garbage disposal, ande Greece Fiancial Rescue plans.
I think Obama needs an Economic Advisor & so does EuroZone. Ah Soon they are waiting for you to solve the Greece & Portugal Financial Crisis.
Sam G,
I am not supporting Soon but what he is doing is right. He is just pointing out with facts and figures on how LGE in his haste for development is trying to bulldoze through not within the context of the rules and regulations that are in place. Lets be fair and not just blindly oppose a view just because we are their supporter.
Dear Yang, before you get to taken by Ah Soon’s post please do abit of research and look at his so called “facts”. He mentioned that 75000RM LMC because mainlanders are too rich and the poor will not go to Batu Kawan. What kind of logic is that? If the mainlanders are too rich they certainly don’t need/or qualify for LMC! If the poor are choosy and don’t want to move to Batu kawan , is that the gov’s fault? He also claimed to have seen ads for “condos” being avail for downpayment of 1000RM and monthly payments of 100-200RM.… Read more »
Ah Soon can certainy write for thrashy tabloids like Kosmo & Harian Metro to sensationalising news. Pandai Heboh!
The northern beaches road system needs to addressed – Build a new road to solve the traffic problem.
Batu Ferringhi must not become like Tanjong Bungah – Keep the beach strictly as a tourism zone with no residential development.
Create a pedestrian friendly environment.
Build a proper commercial centre to replace the pathetic present shopping scene.
Impose strict guidelines for hillside development.
Penang gomen must redeploy majority of Expatriates (by encouragement) to live in various areas of Penang rather than for them to be exclusive at Batu Feringghi/Tanjung Bungah area so that they get to be more inclusive by mingling more with the ordinary rakyat to appreciate what Malaysia is about and fight inflation more effectively.
Anil
Here is an topic that you can initiate for discusiion in your blog.
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/race-quotas-politics-led-to-falling-um-standards-says-world-bank-study/
I do not need World Bank to tell us the root cause of the problems faced by our country and the low quality of local universities.
However, many people still do not realise the problem as they have been fed with propaganda-laced reports by Bernama that are carried by its controlled media in NST, TV3, RTM …
I read blogs because I am too tired of these propaganda.
I cannot wait for the next GE to bring about Ubah!
Anil
Penang Forum with your involvement should bring to state attention to get RapidPenang to rapidly transform the public transport landscape og Penang Island. like reducing the fares and setting up more user friendly bus stops throughout.
Thks.
I’m not sure why there is this push for land reclamation when
global warming will raise the level of the sea around
Penang island.
Can someone clarify?
Just look rising water level in Thailand now and you may wonder if this can happen in low level area near the rivers/seas ?
so reclaimed area housing likely to have its value discounted by this fact.
Go and invest in Batu Kawan’s affordable housing – the value will shoot up as the project being planned according to Spore Housing Development Board, which has United Nations’ endorsement as excellent examples for the world !
Affordable housing, it has not improve but deteriorate
Affordable housing is already on the plan at Batu Kawan.
Please check it up.
PDC plan to build LMC unit at RM75,000. This will not work as the mainlanders are more rich and wealthy. The poor will not go to Batu Kawan. Currently, there are few units of condo, you just need to pay RM1000 deposit and monthly installment of RM100 or RM200 to own a condo, much cheaper than LGe ‘s LMC unit. Believe or not, there is hardly any taker. Why? No one sure that the developers can survive or not.
Dear Ah Soon, Are you sure? RM1,000? You are not being specific here. What you are trying to say is, RM1,000 as booking fees and the remnants of the down payment can be made through monthly instalments of RM100 or RM200? And that the project is still in the building stage and not ready for CF to be issued for occupation? If it is RM1,000 downpayment and 100 to 200 RM repayments towards loan, I do not see why there are no takers if the projects are ready? I have to concur with you that the DAP led administration had… Read more »
I love to buy too, but all my friends do not believe that the good deal can be materialized. If you look at Chinese press advertisement, you will find the offer, down payment RM1000, monthly installment RM100 or RM100. No mistake!
You can go ahead and try the advertisement….I have a feeling you won’t see that RM 1,000 again….
Easy for a bumiputera like Ahmad Sobri to talk as he cannot empatise with those who could not qualify for housing discount.
Yang
Go and get hold of Oct English edition of Buletin Mutiara, whereby affordable housing being planned at Batu Kawan.
If cannot get them, you can try to download from
http://www.penang.gov.my/index.php/pusat-media/penerbitan/buletin-mutiara/cat_view/44-buletin-mutiara/46-2011
Yaya BobboiBoy Batu Kawan affordable will not just be affordable, it will be a slum sooner than you think.I can get a much better deal from the private sector on the mainland. Anyway, try getting an affordable housing in Penang island now. Yeh there is some 500 over units currently being built and being upgraded from affordable to not affordable and on the waiting list are more than 20,000 who are waiting for the affordable that has become not affordable due to the unusual and lopsided concession given to the developers. I challenge you to give me one current example… Read more »
Agree with you absolutely, saudara Yang. While you are an absolute die hard DAP man, you comment productively and objectively without being bias. DAP/PR for the matter of affordable housing had failed and failed miserably Penangnites! What is the point of offering jobs? Offering 20,000 vacancies often boasted by LGE, but, those 20,000 people cannot afford basic housing amenities? Perhaps, 3 and a half years is too short a period for them to implement the projects they so wish, we will give them another five years and if they still are wishy washy on matters of housing and governance, we… Read more »
Support PCM instead. They got more umph than MCLM. What MLM company is that?
PCM, apa tu? Parti Cari Makan?
Yang Understand your plight. Mentioned in previous posting that Penang’s housing is now a commodity traded according to supply-demand pattern. The land in Penang island is a scarce commodity. An analogy is like even used newspaper now being traded for 50 sen per kilo vs 5 sen per kilo in the 70s (go to Armenian St vendor to get updated price). I also understand that someone is cashing in on the situation to raise the housing prices. Be patient. Like Anil mentioned id American Autuum spreads to this region, we may see Penang Fever that causes the prices to drop… Read more »
Dexter,
Put it in general that will benefits the people overall not in particular of a certain area. Thats what the govt should aim for. The people of the island will soon be revolting and threw back the bounced cheque back to LGE soon if he does not wake up.
Are you hoping for your ‘3rd force’ to build affordable housing on Penang island? Wonder what Tan Tee Beng has to say to you.
And how about some hard core science on traffics issues 😉 e.g.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braess's_paradox
When urban drive keep complaining about congestion of “too few foad” , it seems bottleneck cause traffics jam are results of too many road, as in Braess’s paradox.
Met for what? Will there be change? Any commitment from LGe on sustainable development? Continuous wanton change to development density in violation of the permissible maximum density? Planning without transit oriented land use policy? Unusual and lopsided concession to developers? Continuously setting bad and dangerous precedent?