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Cycle-friendly George Town?

Anil Netto
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Pedal power could be making a comeback in George Town.

According to George Town World Heritage Inc general manager Maimunah Mohd Sharif, greening in Penang will not be limited to trees. “We want to do something with George Town’s back lanes so cyclists can use them,” she told The Edge. “Cycling is coming back to the city. The back lanes will definitely be of use to them, so this is greening George Town in another way to reduce carbon emissions.”

Well said and worthy of support! I hope such plans will be extended throughout the state, not just George Town.

As for the planting of trees, the GTWHI is also looking at Jalan Kampung Kolam, Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling (Pitt Street), Jalan Padang Kota Lama and open spaces like that at the end of Armenian Street.

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This New Year, say a prayer for Yong

Anil Netto
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While we celebrate the New Year, spare a thought for Yong Vui Kong, a young Malaysian convicted of drug trafficking and sentenced to death in Singapore.

Pray for a miracle, that he be given a second chance.

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Heart-stopping price of new hospital

Anil Netto
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11

Heard of the delayed RM400 million (or is that RM660 million?) ‘Heart Hospital’ at Kota Samarahan in Sarawak, which is billed as the most expensive in terms of cost per head?

Bernama reports that the hospital has 60 beds.

If that’s not enough to give you heart palpitations, consider this: the (outdated?) heart hospital equipment is allegedly linked to matters of the heart…

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sPICE exhibition ‘disappointing’

Anil Netto
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A few concerned Penangites who visited the sPICE exhibtion at Pisa aimed at eliciting public feedback came away disappointed.

One of them said, “(To say) I am disappointed with the display is an understatement. In fact, it is pathetic and shameful for whoever puts up the display to call it a public display and request public feedback.”

A second said it was “rubbish”, adding there was nothing really answered in the exhibition.

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GM mosquitoes WERE released

Anil Netto
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You know what? They have already released 6,000 of those GM mosquitoes even though a reports had quoted a Biosafety Deparment senior official as saying no date had been fixed and the plan had been delayed.

While folks were celebrating the delay, now the IMR tells us the mosquitoes had in fact been released in a forest near Bentong, Pahang on 21 December 2010. This after the FMT reported on 20 December 2011 that the Biosafety Department research director had dismissed as untrue an allegation that the IMR released the GM male mosquitoes the previous week. He said the IMR had not yet fixed a date. Yeah, right.

Najib and the Environment Minister must explain how this happened. Look at what was stated here in an AFP report published on Yahoo! dated 4 January 2011:

A senior official from the Biosafety Department told AFP that the trial, which was to be carried out in two Malaysian states, has been postponed pending further discussion with residents in the trial areas.

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Amazing what election season can do

Anil Netto
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It’s amazing what a series of upcoming elections can do.

Already the government, perhaps with one eye on the Tenang by-election, has back-tracked. Now, the Royal Commission of Inquiry will look into the cause of Teoh Beng Hock’s death.

Now Hishammuddin also says the government is not yet ready to amend the Printing Presses and Publications Act to suppress Internet freedom. That’s a day after Home Ministry secretary-general Mahmood Adam reportedly said the government plans to table amendments to the PPPA to include online news sites when Parliament convenes in March.

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Link public transport with no car-zones

Anil Netto
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The MPPP is looking into extending its trial no-car zone at the Esplanade sea-front promenade to other areas.


View Larger Map

This is a move in the right direction. It should go hand-in-hand with improved public transport such as buses and trams and the provision of bus and cycling lanes.

Carnavon Street - Photo credit: The Star
It’s also time to plant more trees, especially to provide shade for pavements, along our streets like what is being done in Carnavon Street in Penang under a Khazanah-MPPP project.

I was surprised that trees were not planted along the divider of the Jelutong Expressway when it was built. Very poor planning. If land-scarce Singapore can plant trees in the middle and along its roads, why can’t we do that for our streets with all the land we have?

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Live – Amendment vote short of 2/3

Anil Netto
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Go to TV Selangor for a live telecast of the proceedings below and follow live updates further below.


Petronas to dish out mega contracts?

Anil Netto
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Petronas may soon dish out mega contracts for local and foreign firms to develop marginal oil fields. And reports say the frontrunners are believed to be Kencana Petroleum Bhd and SapuraCrest Petroleum Bhd.

“The local players will tie up with foreign oil and gas majors in a consortium where the former would have a minor role as it is something new to them. The locals need to learn,” The Star quoted an industry source as saying. (In other words, the locals can’t handle the job themselves?)

According to Kencana’s Annual Report for 2010, Mokhzani Mahathir has a 39 per cent interest in the firm, mostly via Khasera Baru Sdn Bhd.

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Wall of smoke

Anil Netto
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I was admiring the view of Penang Island from the mainland at around noon today when suddenly, a wall of smoke billowed near the sea-front blocking the island from view for a few minutes.

A fire in Butterworth? No, just plumes of smoke coming from the direction of an industrial plant in the heart of Butterworth town, lasting a few minutes. Apparently, this happens once or twice a day, I was told.

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