The issue of shortage of housing for the poor in Penang is puzzling. As early as in 1950s, even before the country achieved independence from Britain, there were efforts by the government to help the lower income groups to have adequate shelter. More specifically, George Town’s Municipal Council which eventually evolved into the Penang Island Municipal Council of today began building quarters for its lower paid workers as early as 1946. Two years later, it also built low-cost houses for sale to the public at $2,775 each (Penang – Past and Present, 1966:86). It then went on to build many housing units to be rented to the poor, such as those in Trengganu Road and Cintra Street. After almost half a century, these are still among the most sought-after housing units for the lower income groups. The Seberang Perai Municipal Council (MPSP) and its predecessor also built low-cost housing units to be sold to the poor. For instance, in 1959 the Butterworth Town Council built low-cost houses in Jalan Mohd Saad costing between $5,000 and $12,000 each. The Penang State Government has also been building low-cost houses for the poor. They include those in Kampung Melayu, Nordin Street Ghaut, Riffle Range, Kedah Road and recently, in cooperation with the federal government and MPPP, in the Lines Road area.
Affordable housing in Penang: Whither PDC?
The Penang Development Corporation (PDC) – and even municipal councils – once used to play an admirable role in providing Penangites with affordable housing.
Goh Ban Lee recalls in this piece for Seri’s Penang Eonomic Monthly (August 2009) that:
Boustead claims RM60m from MPPP (updated)
Just when you thought the proposed RM50 million Penang International Convention Centre was bad enough for Penang rate-payers, now Boustead Holdings Bhd has reportedly submitted a RM60 million claim to the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) for scaling down its project in the world heritage zone.
The state government had earlier directed the developer to scale down its 12-storey hotel project to meet Unesco’s 18-metre or five-storey height ruling in the core heritage zone of Weld Quay.
Strangely though, instead of the Penang NGOs being lauded for protecting Penang’s World Heritage status, they have been criticised because Boustead has made a staggering claim.
BN would win snap polls in Perak?
A survey has indicated that Perak would fall to the BN if snap polls were held now – but I am confused.
According to Malaysiakini:
According to Malaysiakini:
A study by the independent think-tank Ilham Centre has shown that public support has swung back to BN, cemented with the recent court rulings in its favour.
Penang Hill Railway: Selling the family silver?
You know they are supposedly “upgrading” the Penang Hill Railway.
So what’s going to happen to all the vintage machinery (scroll down that page to see the equipment) that pulls up the funicular trains? There are two sets of such equipment to pull up the trains, one at the middle station and the other at the summit station.
The other day, I met a friend and he told me that someone from the UK was in Penang recently, interested in acquiring the wheel that pulls the cable (and the trains) up. Apparently, there is a funicular railway in Devon in the UK that is interested in the equipment.
Muhyiddin for Malaysia “not available!”
How apt that Deputy Prime Minister’s new My-Malaysia website, bearing the tag line ‘Muhyiddin Yassin for Malaysia’ is now “not available!”
That says a lot. The website was launched at the end of January. But now – poof! – it has vanished without a trace. Now we know he thinks of himself as Malay first.
Seen from one level, a national leader should be thinking of the nation first. Maybe that was the reason he set up his now defunct website as ‘Muhyiddin untuk Malaysia‘ in the first place.
Penang launches ‘green citizens’ initiative
The Penang state government has made a commendable move to launch a green citizens initiative.
It launched a one-month registration drive on Saturday to register Penangites who would have to pledge to adhere to 10 green initiatives:
- work to save water,
- conserve electricity,
- support the anti-smoking initiative,
- reduce plastic bag usage,
- stop open burning,
- stop littering,
- work to reduce one’s carbon footprint,
- cut down the use of polystyren
- help create a caring society and
- observe the 3Rs – Reduce, Recycle, Reuse.
Images from outside the Perak State Assembly
Scenes from before the opening ceremony of the new sitting of the Perak State Assembly yesterday and the Pakatan assembly members’ press conference immediately after.
Photos by Jong
Youths set out to register 2 million new voters
Two million new voters? How on earth are they going to do that? Never say ‘that’s impossible’ to the idealism of youth.
That’s the ambitious target that a group of young people have set for themselves in a mass voter registration initiative dubbed “Voice your choice”.
You may laugh, you may scoff, but it’s not impossible. Do you know that 4.4 million Malaysians over the age of 21 have not yet registered as voters? Of these, 787,000 are in Selangor.
Live – Perak State Assembly sitting
We will be following what’s happening in and around the Perak State Assembly this morning.
Pakatan assembly members march to the Dewan this morning – Photo by Jong
After the sitting this morning, Nizar walked up to where Ganesan was presiding in the Dewan and criticised him for allegedly allowing police “to intrude into the Dewan”, saying that as a lawyer, Ganesan should have known better. “You are a pengecut,” Nizar admonished Ganesan, who responded with a smile.
Pakatan assembly members march to the Dewan this morning – Photo by Jong
After the sitting this morning, Nizar walked up to where Ganesan was presiding in the Dewan and criticised him for allegedly allowing police “to intrude into the Dewan”, saying that as a lawyer, Ganesan should have known better. “You are a pengecut,” Nizar admonished Ganesan, who responded with a smile.
Allah issue leads to Muslim-Christian dialogue
In case you are having the Perkasa blues, this should brighten things up: Muslims and Christians have been holding dialogue sessions in church halls across the northern region ever since the Allah controversy led to a spate of arson attempts on places of worship.
You could say it has opened up an avenue for a rapprochement of sorts among the ‘People of the Book’, heirs to the Abrahamic spiritual traditions.
The latest church to play host to such a dialogue was St Louis Catholic Church in Taiping. Now, St Louis, along with the Convent School next door, was the target of an arson attempt on 10 January.
Perak State Assembly: Stage set for more drama
The stage is set for more drama in Ipoh with the 28 Pakatan state assembly members having submitted 200 questions for the assembly sitting which begins tomorrow.
Once again we could be treated to the spectacle of two Perak Speakers at the proceedings.
Kinta Kid provides the background here.
Penang Botanic Garden: What went wrong?
Concerned Penangites distributed leaflets yesterday calling for a halt to projects to ‘upgrade’ the Penang Botanic Garden which have resulted in more concrete structures, including two large arches at the entrance.
They came face-to-face with federal and state government officials responsible for managing and overseeing the Garden who were there for the launch of the official programme to mark the 126th anniversary of the historical site.
One activist was overhead telling the officials, “The whole world is trying to move towards more greenery; here, we are adding more concrete.” The officials say they will hold a public briefing on what is happening to the Garden.
What went wrong at the Garden? Who is responsible for the mess? A source familiar with the workings of the Garden described the situation as follows:
PICC: Don’t touch MPPP funds
The Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) has issued a clarification over a report in The Star yesterday that is at pains to stress there is no difference in position between the Council and state government over the Penang International Convention Centre (PICC).
The clarification seems to be an attempt at damage control. The MPPP chief’s views reported yesterday would not have pleased the state government. Let me just say, for what it’s worth, I fully support her position that no Council funds should be used for PICC. Remember what happened to Batu Kawan Stadium, that white elephant? Two more convention centres are coming up under private projects – so why get the MPPP to undertake PICC (even with private assistance)?
In the MPPP clarification (below), they say they are inviting the private sector to help reduce the burden of building PICC. But if there is no private interest, the MPPP will abide by the state government’s decision – which means using Council funds? Please, NO!
MPPP chief says “No” to funds for PICC
The newly appointed Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) chief, Patahiyah Ismail, has come out to say she is not in favour of using Council funds for the controversial RMR50 million Penang International Convention Centre (PICC).
Site plans showing the proposed PICC (in brown) located directly in front of the existing Penang International Sports Arena (Pisa)
“I would not want to spend the council’s money on this project. This is my opinion,” she was reported as saying in The Star today.
Varying estimates of Perkasa AGM turnout
Perkasa held its first AGM at the PWTC in KL this morning with Mahathir in the spotlight – but estimates of the turnout vary.
The large crowd at the PWTC – Photo twittered by Tun Faisal (More photos here)
Malaysiakini put the turnout at more than 2,000.
According to blogger Aisehman, the MC said 8,000 seats were put out but the crowd was 10,000-strong.
The large crowd at the PWTC – Photo twittered by Tun Faisal (More photos here)
Malaysiakini put the turnout at more than 2,000.
According to blogger Aisehman, the MC said 8,000 seats were put out but the crowd was 10,000-strong.
Dam conference in Sawarak
A conference on building dams – and what more ‘appropriate’ venue than Sarawak, where a dam-building frenzy has gripped policy makers.
These days they have green-washed their image: they are calling it “Water Resources and Renewable Energy Development”.
Highspeed broadband for whom?
Many Malaysians would have been shocked at the expensive highspeed broadband (Unifi) packages rolled out by Telekom.
No wonder TM decided to launch them in the affluent areas of Shah Alam, Subang Jaya, Taman Tun Dr Ismail and Bangsar. Whatever happened to bridging the digital divide?
Blog reader Ganesh shares his concern:
Yet again, Malaysians are misled with false promises. For months there was so much hype to the government’s initiative to provide cheaper, affordable and yet very fast broadband. Yesterday, it came as a shock to Malaysians that the so-called affordable and fast broadband service starts at RM149 and ranges up to RM249. To many Malaysians, this sum is a huge commitment. Many were expecting prices from RM50 onwards.
Bush uses Clinton’s shirt as handkerchief
He’s out of office but he still manages to do some pretty dumb things. Bush wipes his hand on Clinton’s shirt after shaking hands with a local during a recent trip to Haiti.
Moral of the story: In this Internet age, politicians had better be prepared for intense scrutiny of their every public action.
What are the issues in Hulu Selangor?
This time, they have to call a by-election.
What do you think are likely to be the main issues in Hulu Selangor?
Anwar’s trial will be going on.
So will the Teoh Beng Hock inquest.
Politics over a cup of coffee
This morning I bumped into a retired veteran politician and we got to chatting about current developments over a cup of coffee.
Top of the list of talking points was the resignation and U-turn by Yip Sun Onn, the Perlis State Assembly member for Titi Tinggi. Yip reportedly retracted his resignation from the assembly in a text message to the Perlis Speaker last night.
The veteran politician sounded perplexed and bewildered at what had happened. From all his years in politics, he had always understood that once a resignation letter was handed over to the Speaker, the Speaker had to declare the seat vacant and inform the Election Commission, whose duty it was to conduct a by-election. He had never heard of a retraction. Neither had most of us. Just goes to show how terrified they are of by-elections these days.