Here are three burning questions that need to be answered:
1. Can the state justify its population projection for the three islands to reach 446,000 by 2030, as stated in the environmental impact assessment report? Where are these people coming from considering it took over 200 years for Penang Island to reach 700,000-plus?
2. Can the state explain how it will fund the PTMP projects, which will cost billions, when its expected net revenue from reclaiming half of Island A would probably be about RM600m in seven to 10 years’ time? This is equivalent to about one year of Penangs state’s revenue. However, the environmental damage and social losses would cost many times as much, if they are truly accounted for
3. Can the state explain how the costs of the Penang South Reclamation has escalated from RM8bn for two islands (totalling 1,428ha) in 2015 to RM7bn for half an island (only 485ha) in 2021?
Found this extract in Kit Siang’s blog in 2014, when he expressed concern about a large reclamation project at Gelang Patah. Hopefully, his advice will remind all those indulging in such projects about the need to preserve our fisheries:
“I was puzzled and worried – once the reclamation is completed later, can these fishermen still look for fish on the reclaimed brown land which was blue sea before? How are they and their children to compete with foreign workers in order to land a job at the construction sites? Where is the kampung after all?
Coastal Fishermen and Fisheries
They are small coastal fishermen. The Department of Fisheries statistics tells us that there are 613 fishermen in western Johor Bahru, of which 415 are Malays, 147 Orang Aslis and 51 Chinese. Gelang Patah is the main fisheries centre of the western part of Johore Bahru. In the area of Pendas and Tanjung Kupang alone, there are some 250 coastal fishermen and 95% of them Malays.
Fishing might not be the dream job for everyone. The coastal fishermen go to the sea in small boats with outboard engines to fish by using small nets or traditional fishing tools. They are not the relatively well-off trawl boat fishermen with large boats, trawl nets and modern gears. But without these coastal fishermen braving the waves and baking under the hot sun, there will be no fish and prawns as sources of affordable food and nutritious protein for us.
Fisheries contributes to about 1% of GDP for Malaysia. But the contribution of coastal fishermen to our society, and their important role in shaping Malaysian culture and identity, cannot be assessed and valued based solely on the GDP numbers.”
The petition contains just one line – that Azmin has purportedly failed to live up to public expectations of a senior minister.
The petition has already surpassed the petition calling for Tajuddin Rahman’s removal, which collected 139,706 online signatures – and declared victory in just over 24 hours – when the government announced the Prasarana chairman’s removal with immediate effect. I didn’t think that figure could be surpassed anytime soon, given the storm of outrage over Tajuddin’s distasteful conduct at his press conference.
Well, I was wrong. Azmin is soaring (sinking?) to a new hard-to-beat mark.
A Change.org user going by the name of Kerajaan Gagal (Failed Government) started both petitions.
The #PenangTolakTambak (Penang Rejects Reclamation) campaign received a major boost today when Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izzah came out with a strong commentary calling for the cancellation of the ecologically damaging Penang South Reclamation mega-project.
The project aims to create three artificial islands spanning 4,500 acres that will destroy prime fishing waters.
Tajuddin Rahman’s appalling conduct at a press conference on 25 May after a collision between two light rail trains the night before outraged many viewers.
The Prasarana chairman’s condescending dismissiveness of reporters’ probing questions, his lack of empathy for the victims and his sneering remark with racial overtones towards a woman reporter from China were apparent for all to see.
With his appalling conduct, he unwittingly succeeded in uniting the nation in the public backlash that followed. This was clear when stand-up comic Douglas Lim received many positive comments from a multiracial audience for taking the mickey out of Tajuddin’s appalling press conference in a spoof. Full article on Aliran website
Look at this photo of Gurney Drive, probably in the 1970s. It is hard to imagine we had a lovely beach in the city of George Town, Penang, once. People happily swimming in clear waters. A day out for families. Some buying fresh wild-caught fish directly from inshore fisherfolk. You can’t get fish fresher than that!
And the photo below is from the 1930s:
Now, after degrading this beach, we want to spend billions of ringgit trying to create an artificial “Gurney Wharf”, which is supposed to give city folk an artificial beach (which we once had for free), and a massive eight-lane coastal highway. (In reality, the real purpose of this reclamation is the high-density property development planned on reclaimed land from near the Gurney Drive roundabout to Gurney Plaza.) Full article on Aliran website
With the global pandemic and political turmoil, I felt this song could not wait any longer. It is more important now than ever for us to unite. In this song, I asked questions: Are we our name? Our face? Our religion? Our race? It saddens me greatly when I see people in conflict because of the differences in their skin colour, religion, race, status, nationality, gender and sexual orientation.
It’s almost as if they are popping up in Teluk Kumbar in southern Penang Island to highlight the threat to marine biodiversity that the massive land reclamation projects pose. Penang is ground zero of the reclamation madness and greed that has swept across the west coast of peninsula Malaysia – the other affected areas being Langkawi, Malacca and Johor.
Penang Forum has just released a statement on the contractor-and developer-led proposal dubbed “Penang Transport Master Plan”, which in reality was driven by land reclamation interests.
With Pas now allying itself with Bersatu in PN, it is game on for the coming general election. The lines have been drawn (well, not quite, but still…).
World no. 10 Lee Zii Jia has arrived on the world stage in style, giving the entire country a lift, as he edged out world no. 2 Viktor Axelsen to clinch the All-England men’s singles badminton crown. Lee is coached by Tey Seu Bock and Indonesia’ Hendrawan under national coaching director Wong Choon Hann. He was previously trained by Misbun Sidek and Indonesia’s Indra Wijaya.
In the quarter-finals, Lee ousted world no. 1 Kento Momota 21-16, 21-19, whom he had never taken a game off in six previous encounters. So the new champion’s triumph is no fluke.
It was a good day for Malaysian coaches abroad as well. Japan under Tan Kim Her (men’s doubles) and Jeremy Gan (mixed doubles) triumphed in all-Japan finals in the two events.
Japan, coached by South Korea’s Park Joo Bong, who once trained the Malaysian team, is undoubtedly a new powerhouse in world badminton, winning four of the five final events – three of them all-Japan finals, in the absence of China and Indonesia.
But Lee’s breakthrough win has shown us the power of perseverance and determination against the odds. It has rallied the nation together, breaking down ethnic and religious barriers, at a time of so much divisiveness.
Now let’s hope for Parliament to reconvene soon, so that our elected representatives can put their minds together to break through the political stalemate that is dragging the nation down.
So what do you make of this? Does it matter if they still insist on the massive reclamation in southern Penang Island and all their other unsustainable mega-projects when so many ordinary people are struggling to get by? #PenangTolakTambak #StopPIL
What do you make of this? Do you think Pakatan Harapan or PKR should cooperate with Umno? What would their ideological platform be, given the track record of both sides? Good governance, anti-corruption, constitutional provisions. But this is vague, without going into specifics.
Photos by activist Meena Raman
What brilliant moonlight on this auspicious day. It takes our minds off our troubles, at least momentarily. It reminds us that the light will always pierce through the darkness.
And it is also a telling reminder we should do all we can to protect the natural beauty and ecosystem of this place we call home.
And this morning:
MEENA RAMAN
It looks as if things (fires and hill clearings) have been happening on the hills of Penang while the rest of us are under lockdown. This statement has just been released by the Tanjung Bunga Residents Association:
In Part One, we looked at the failure of the Barisan Nasional government in Penang to move towards sustainable mobility.
Now, let’s look at the Pakatan Harapan’s record since 2008, when it captured power in Penang.
The Penang government got off on the right foot and in 2009, set up the Penang Transport Council, which included civil society representatives.
This council proposed that the state government come up with a transport masterplan for the state.
Heeding the call, the state government and the Northern Corridor Implementation Agency, on 27 April 2011, appointed AJC Planning Consultants Sdn Bhd, Halcrow and the Singapore Cruise Centre to produce a masterplan. Full article on Aliran website
It was bemusing to see politicians on both sides of the political divide engaged in a recent war of words about saving the Penang ferries.
Both sides seemed to agree that these “‘iconic heritage ferries” should be saved or showcased elsewhere so that foreign tourists and local visitors could take joy rides.
But let’s be clear from the outset. The vast majority of daily riders on the ferries – whether passengers or motorists – are local residents from Penang, either going to work or running some personal errand or on weekend trips. From my observation, they far outnumber tourists and out-of-town visitors, who use the ferries mainly during school holidays, weekend breaks and festive periods.
So the premise for saving the old ferry service – for tourism purposes – starts on the wrong footing.
The hastily introduced boats are a poor substitute for the ferries, not to mention hardly friendly to people with disabilities. A crowd of people in an enclosed cabin with not much physical distancing is not ideal, unlike the old airy ferries where there was plenty of room for passengers with sea air freely circulating through the upper and lower decks. Full article on Aliran website
