Penang Forum has just released a statement regarding the rezoning of Bukit Relau to residential use.
Botak Hill rezoning: What happened to CAT?
The Penang Forum Steering Committee is dismayed to read press reports on 19 April 2015 which confirmed that the Penang state government had quietly rezoned hill land in Bukit Relau for residential development in December 2012.
The PDC is inviting ‘requests for proposals’ for the “safe rehabilitation, development of the Jelutong dumpsite and propose new disposal site for construction and demolition waste and marine clay”.
Opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement is growing as people in affected countries express their disquiet.
Within Malaysia, I don’t think there has been enough media coverage and political debate on this huge trade pact, which is going to have far-reaching implications. Obama is anxious to get Malaysia and the countries in this region to sign on the dotted line, and that could be why he was being so ‘pal-ly’ with Najib, going on a charm offensive over golf.
So Nurul Izzah’s piece below serves as a timely reminder of what is at stake:
The following letter was sent by Renji Sathiah, the Tanjung Bungah Residents Association chairperson, to the Penang Island City Council mayor and copied to the Penang JKR director:
More and more people are expressing disquiet over the model of development being pursued in Penang. From north to south of the island the voices are growing louder.
Even property prices on the mainland are soaring – and this before the tunnel work has even started. Double- and even single-storey houses in Bagan Ajam in Butterworth, close to the site of the proposed tunnel, are going for RM600,000-700,000, whereas only about three years ago, they were were about half that level.
The state government must clarify this report and explain how hill land could be rezoned to ‘perumahan’ (housing).
Never mind the United States and Singapore. Look at how the ringgit is faring against the baht in post-coup Thailand.
We are even slipping against the Indonesian Rupiah of late. Where are we heading?
There’s still a bit of uncertainty over PKR’s choice of candidate for the Permatang Pauh parliamentary by-election. Party strategists are understood to be looking for the most ‘winnable’ candidate.
What do you think?
Should the RM27bn Penang Transport Masterplan be renamed? Because it looks increasingly as if the planned improvement in the transport infrastructure in the state will bring with it massive land reclamation and (mainly high-end?) property development.
Why are we thinking of cross-channel cable cars when it is not in the Penang Transport Masterplan, for which the state government paid RM3.2m to consultants to undertake?