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Zahrain quits PKR: No sad loss

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So Bayan Baru MP Zahrain has quit PKR. All I can say it’s no sad loss for the party – and instead it’s a blessing in disguise for Pakatan.

Quite a few Penangites are familiar with Zahrain and his Penang Port background, apart from the current controversy surrounding the golf club tender.

How did he get selected as an election candidate in the first place? Pity the voters of Bayan Baru who opted for change.

According to a well-placed PKR source, Zahrain, who is (was?) an old friend of Anwar’s, was likely to face punishment – probably suspension or the sack – by the PKR disciplinary committee, which was due to deliver its decision next week. And he would have seen the writing on the wall. “We are not afraid of losing people who do not share our vision or principles,” said the source.

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More on beach erosion in northern Penang

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I asked an environmental specialist about the beach erosion in northern Penang Island, and this is what he had to say:


A groyne in the UK; Butterworth used to have similar groynes at the beach fronting the RMAF base – Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Various modelling studies were done during the construction of the Penang Bridge, land reclamation of Batu Maung and Bayan Baru and the North Butterworth Container Terminal to try and predict the likely impact on sediment transport and the likely erosion and sedimentation.

However, when one side is the open sea, such as along the north coast of Penang Island, the volume of water flowing through is not affected by the fixed volume of the straits.

When any structure is constructed, such as land reclamation or the construction of a “groyne” to prevent beach erosion, it will interfere with the natural beach processes.

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Accused in arsenic protest acquitted!

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The magistrate in the long-running arsenic protest case has acquitted the 27 accused after the prosecution failed to produce material witnesses in court.


It’s all over! – Photo courtesy of Tian Chua

The prosecutors had failed to produce the seven remaining witnesses including CID director Bakri Zinin in court, according to Tian Chua, one of those acquitted.

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Mourning the loss of a green space

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In an incomprehensible move, the public green space in front of the Dewan Sri Pinang has been fenced up.

I had blogged about this before here but today, I found the following message from a concerned Penang resident in my mailbox:

This little green lung has a history. It was designed in the early 1990s and planting was carried out just before the visit of the then Agong. It was meant to be a very green, friendly space for use by visitors, the inner city residents and office workers. It had lots of grass in little undulating mounds and criss-crossing pathways, which had already been etched into the earth from use by folks walking from the Esplanade to the Courthouse and to Green Hall.

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Live – Meanwhile, back at the Anwar trial

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Back in court for the Anwar trial where the application for the judge to recuse himself is being heard.

Penang shoreline hit by erosion

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Certain beach stretches in Penang are being eroded by changing tidal patterns, attributed to land reclamation work.

theSun reports:

Hotel operators concerned over beach erosion
Himanshu Bhatt and Opalyn Mok

Massive erosion of earth by powerful sea tides has caused this stretch of the beach in Tanjung Bungah to become lower by about a metre and several trees there to be uprooted over the last month. Notice the embankment-like verticle exposure created after the earth there was pulled away into the sea.

GEORGE TOWN (Feb 2, 2010): A series of bizarre tides has eroded a stretch of the Tanjung Bungah beach here, causing its level to be lowered by as much as two metres.

The erosion, which has created gaping embankment-like exposures where large amounts of sand have disappeared, has caused concern among hotel operators and visitors in the area.

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Live – Perak MB judgment; Anwar trial

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Live updates on: 1) the Federal Court verdict on who is the rightful chief minister of Perak and 2) the application in the High Court to recuse the Anwar trial judge.

Malay Chamber represented in MPPP

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Few are aware that the Penang Malay Chamber of Commerce (DPMMPP) has had three current office bearers successively appointed to an allotted seat in the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) since 2008.

Ironically, a DPMMPP leader was involved in the racially charged 5 Feb protest over allegedly discriminatory Council enforcement action against Malay hawkers and food-stalls operators on Penang Island.

The Penang government had allotted one seat to the DPMMPP and another to the Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce in the MPPP. For 2008, the DPMMPP rep in the Council was Rizal Faris Mohideen, currently the head of DPMMPP. (Rizal was one of the speakers at the protest on Friday.) His successor as MPPP councillor in March 2009 was Yasir Hafiz Munawar Ali, currently the DPMMPP honorary assistant secretary. The present rep in the Council is Ali Akhbar Mohd Noor, a businessman and DPMMPP exco member.

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Live – Karpal applies to disqualify judge

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The Anwar trial continues but is then abruptly adjourned to tomorrow after Karpal Singh applies for the judge to be recused.

Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia roadshow in Ipoh

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Here’s a refreshing antidote to the racial and religious controversies of late: the ‘Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia’ roadshow reached Ipoh on Saturday.


Photos by Jong

Over a hundred Perakians turned up to listen to speakers such as Azmi Sharom and Haris Ibrahim who peppered their talks with humour.

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