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The Gurney Drive beach in the city that we lost

Anil Netto
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The Gurney Drive beach in the city that we lost

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

Tell Me – a song by Amirah

Anil Netto
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Tell Me – a song by Amirah

“Tell Me” is the talented singer Amirah’s second single. It was originally composed in Malay and entitled “Katakanlah”.

Amirah writes:

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.

Lyricist: Amirah, Amy Powers

Publisher: Amirah360 Publishing

You can follow Amirah on her Instagram, Facebook or Facebook Unity Group.

This is her earlier song from 2020:

Dolphins frolic in fishing waters threatened by Penang reclamation

Anil Netto
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Dolphins frolic in fishing waters threatened by Penang reclamation

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.

#TolakTambak

PTMP has failed! Go back to the drawing board

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PTMP has failed! Go back to the drawing board

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.

Check out the statement here.

It’s game on: PN vs PH vs BN vs….

Anil Netto
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It’s game on: PN vs PH vs BN vs….

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…).

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Lee Zii Jia lifts Malaysia’s gloom with breakthrough All-England triumph

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Lee Zii Jia lifts Malaysia’s gloom with breakthrough All-England triumph

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.

Penang DAP election results: Your thoughts?

Anil Netto
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Penang DAP election results: Your thoughts?

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

ELECTION RESULTS (TOP 15)

Chow Kon Yeow 1,211

Phee Boon Poh 1,041

Lay Hock Peng 1,038

Lim Hui Ying, 980

Zairil Khir Johari 920

Teh Lai Heng 916

Steven Sim 890

Jason H’ng 888

P Ramasamy 826

Soon Lip Chee 811

Yeoh Soon Hin 773

Wong Hong Wai 735

Phee Boon Chee 734

RSN Rayer 659

Jagdeep Singh Deo 655

Anwar Ibrahim’s press conference

Anil Netto
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Anwar Ibrahim’s press conference

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.

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Brilliant Chap Goh Meh moon over Tanjung Bunga

Anil Netto
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Brilliant Chap Goh Meh moon over Tanjung Bunga

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

TBRA calls for urgent investigation into forest fires

Anil Netto
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TBRA calls for urgent investigation into forest fires

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:

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