Never mind that the tunnel controversy continues to rage on and the tunnel project is only expected to be completed in 2027, the relentless reclamation along the Tanjung Tokong and Gurney Drive coastline continues.
During the last general election campaign in 2013, many residents of Penang Island made a beeline for free dinners, even free beer, dished out almost every night, each time at different locations on the island.
A member of the UK House of Lords sparked disbelief when he resigned after being a couple of minutes late and for not being at his place to answer a question from a peer.
International Development Minister Michael Bates began calmly enough when he said:
I want to offer my sincere apologies to Baroness Lister for my discourtesy in not being in my place to answer her question on a very important matter at the beginning of questions.
During the five years in which it’s been my privilege to answer questions from this dispatch box on behalf of the government, I’ve always believed that we should rise to the highest possible standards of courtesy and respect in responding on behalf of the government to the legitimate questions of the legislature.
Then came the shocker:
I am thoroughly ashamed at not being in my place and therefore I shall be offering my resignation to the prime minister . . . with immediate effect.
He then left the house, leaving behind stunned peers, some of whom exclaimed in disbelief, “No! No!”
A friend of mine wrote to me: “Can this (a resignation for arriving late in Parliament) happen here?”
“In your dreams,” I replied, as long as there is no change.
Full article on Aliran website
In case you missed it. Dazzling scenes and expert photography.
Supermoon – when the moon is closest to Earth, it appears 30% bigger and 15% brighter.
Blue moon – when the full moon appears for the second time in a month. Happens once in two and a half years.
Blood moon – during a total lunar eclipse, the red light from the sun is reflected on the moon.
Above, from 8.41pm to 9.05pm – shot from the balcony of the Penang Swimming Club –
Photograph: Dr Kam Suan Pheng, Penang Forum; assisted by Dr Leong Yueh Kwong.
And below from 10.30pm to 11.05pm as seen from Hillside in Tanjung Bungah.
From 10.30pm to 11.05pm as seen from Hillside in Tanjung Bunga – Photograph: Dr Kam Suan Pheng, Penang Forum, assisted by Dr Leong Yueh Kwong
What do you make of these bicycle lanes in KL?
It doesn’t look altogether safe what with cyclists having to share the path with pedestrians and all those obstructions.
But, from what I hear, the cycling network is a worthy project despite shortcomings. KL City Hall seems quite keen on it, with the help of cycling enthusiasts who are part of the KL Bike Map project.
The blue lanes apparently are just in the city centre – just a small part of the overall cycling network.
There are quite a few cycling lanes in KL by now. I understand cyclists can ride freely all the way from Jalan TAR to Midvalley, and the routes along the Klang River and Gombak River are especially pleasant.
But they have got to educate some Malaysians not to obstruct or park on cycle lanes:
What do you think of the bicycle lanes in Penang?
Somehow I am not convinced about cycle lanes having to share the same narrow paths as pedestrians. They don’t look too safe for both pedestrians and cyclists.
We would do well to try and make cycling safer instead of blowing billions on a wishful shopping list of expensive transport infrastructure.
The reported decision to remove the RM200,000 constituency allocation from the hands of the Penang State Assembly member for Tanjung Bunga, Teh Yee Cheu, is unfair to him and those who voted him in.
The Penang House of Music (Level 4, Komtar), which treasures the memory of the finest musicians to come out of the state and their music, celebrates its first anniversary. Check out the video above and the website.
This photograph of Jerejak Island on 11 January 2018 shows clouds hugging the jungle-clad hill-tops of the island and conveys a sense of foreboding and fear.
Immediately after rainfall in Penang on 5 January 2018, which again resulted in sporadic floods, a friend sent me this photo of siltation along a stretch, apparently in the Batu Ferringhi beach immediately after.
The seat breakdowns for the peninsula among Pakatan Rakyat parties in 2013 and Pakatan Harapan parties in 2018. (The 2013 figures were provided to me by a source from PKR. Let me know if any corrections.):
Two dolphins have been found dead on the beach in Tanjung Bunga in the space of six days. The first dead dolphin was found on 29 December 2017 (see photos below) and the second today (photo right at the top).
From what I understand, these are indo-pacific humpback dolphins.
It is not often you see dolphins frolicking in the waters of Penang and when they do, they are a source of delight. So for two dolphins to be found dead in a week… well, something must be up. We need to establish why they are dying in Tanjung Bunga – natural causes, predators, pollution of the sea or toxic discharge from streams flowing into the sea, construction activity or excessive sedimentation?
Dolphins were spotted around Penang Island over the last couple of weeks. One Penang resident saw a few dolphins in the waters off Teluk Bahang on Christmas Eve. Another spotted a couple of dolphins near the Penang Bridge last Saturday morning.
Photos from Pulau Parasit Facebook page.
A Chinese vernacular school in Johor has received a record number of new non-Chinese Malaysians pupils, who make up more than half of its latest intake for the current year, raising eyebrows among many Malaysians.
Well, he has finally listened and bitten the bullet. Imagine, he has said sorry… bet you didn’t see that coming. Said a friend, “I never imagined I would hear him say ‘sorry’ in my lifetime!”
The Tanjung Bungah Residents Association (TBRA) deeply regrets the approval by the Department of Environment (DOE) of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the three paired road projects on 10 November this year.
Independent film producer Andrew Ng, winner of the Freedom Film Fest grant award, has come up with a new video on why Penangites should think twice about land reclamation.
While all attention is Trump’s recent decision to move the US embassy to the city, many have forgotten Bethlehem, which lies in Occupied Palestine (and not in the modern state of Israel, as many believe).
It is not often you see dolphins frolicking in the waters of Penang and when they do, they are a source of delight. So for two dolphins to be found dead in a week… well, something must be up. We need to establish why they are dying in Tanjung Bunga – natural causes, predators, pollution of the sea or toxic discharge from streams flowing into the sea, construction activity or excessive sedimentation?
Dolphins were spotted around Penang Island over the last couple of weeks. One Penang resident saw a few dolphins in the waters off Teluk Bahang on Christmas Eve. Another spotted a couple of dolphins near the Penang Bridge last Saturday morning.
Photos from Pulau Parasit Facebook page. 
