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MCA sharply split ahead of Bagan Pinang poll

Anil Netto
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The BN was dealt a demoralising blow on the eve of the Bagan Pinang by-election after contradictory motions passed during the MCA’s extraordinary general meeting today threw the party into disarray and left it bereft of top leadership.


Photos by Jong

Before today’s EGM, a couple of political scientists/analysts I know who visited Bagan Pinang last night got the impression that the BN had the edge. They observed that the Pakatan’s campaign was missing some of the earlier by-election “spirit” and felt that Isa would win comfortably.

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Scenes from Bagan Pinang

Anil Netto
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Just to give you a flavour of what it’s like in Bagan Pinang a couple of days ahead of the by-election.


Photos by Jong

Town hall meeting to de-congest Pulau Tikus

Anil Netto
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Here’s something interesting from the Penang Municipal Council, which hopefully will be the first step towards more sustainable transport and pedestrian-friendly streets in Penang. Pulau Tikus is supposed to the focus of a pilot project that could be extended throughout Penang. If you are in the area, why not check it out or better still, participate.

Decongest traffic in Pulau Tikus

You are all invited to a stakeholders’ meeting

Time: 4.00pm – 6.00pm
Date: 10 October 2009
Place: Balai Rakyat Pulau Tikus, Jalan Cantonment
Organised by MPPP

Daily traffic jams!! For so many years!!
HOW can this problem be solved??
CAN holistic win-win solutions be found??
YES!!

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“Apex” USM still in the doldrums

Anil Netto
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Looks as if USM isn’t making much headway among the major league universities, if the THES ranking is anything to go by.

Not to be obsessed with those rankings, but I can’t help wondering where the big apex (more popularly known as ah pek) budget is going to and what kind of results it is yielding.

All those courses and workshops in hotels aimed at improving standards don’t seem to be filling up the academic “silos” of USM.

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Why is PDC re-negotiating with Abad Naluri?

Anil Netto
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It is shocking to see the Penang Development Corporation and Abad Naluri re-negotiating the deal in which the latter was supposed to acquire 750 acres of land in Batu Kawan from the PDC.

batu kawan land
The site of the failed equestrian centre project in Batu Kawan – Photo by Anil

This Batu Kawan land was supposed to have been used for a new equestrian centre among other things around the time the Penang Turf Club entered into an agreement with Abad Naluri to sell its Batu Gantung race-course for the Penang Global City Centre project. Neither project (the PGCC and the new equestrian centre in Batu Kawan) took off.

An Edge report says no money has exchanged hands for the Batu Kawan land even though there was a principal agreement between the PDC and Abad Naluri. If so, hasn’t this agreement, which was entered into in 2004, now lapsed? Shouldn’t the PDC be terminating the deal outright?

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Bagan Pinang postal votes in spotlight

Anil Netto
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This morning’s press conference at the Pas operations centre in Port Dickson to announce the party’s protest over the issue of postal votes:

Photos by Jong

Pas is expected to meet the Elections Commission this evening.

Meanwhile, Aliran president P Ramakrishnan has come up with a statement here on the corruption vs breach of ethics controversy surrounding BN candidate Isa Samad.

Kg Buah Pala today

Anil Netto
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A barren desert.

buahpalatodayPhoto by Camie and Gowri, courtesy of Crying Voices

Penan issue exaggerated?

Anil Netto
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The Sarawak Women and Family Council (SWFC) chairperson Fatimah Abdullah has said that the “sensitive” Penan issue has been highlighted and over-exaggerated because of their “political and commercial value”.

Actually, it’ is not that the Penan are of more “political and commercial value” than any other ethnic group in Sarawak. Rather, they are one of the most marginalised groups in the country – and their blockades reflect their desperation. Their situation now is a microcosm of the damaging effects of what is taking place in Sarawak: the clearing of rainforests for logging and plantations, resulting in loss of biodiversity and food sources; the  dam-building frenzy (at public expense for private profit?); the emergence of polluting industry; the unhealthy nexus of politics and business; and of course the dispossession of indigenous groups from native customary land, accompanied by ill-conceived resettlement plans.

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Beyond FDI towards a sustainable economy

Anil Netto
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A couple of weeks ago, I wrote an article on the Malaysian economy, which also touched on the net investment outflows from Malaysia in recent times: Capital outflows cloud economic outlook (Asia Times).

That prompted a thoughtful response from an analyst who makes a valid point – that we must discard our obsession with securing foreign direct investments (FDI), which has blinded us to alternative paths towards a more sustainable domestic economy. Instead, he says, we need to look at how we can promote domestic investment while assessing qualitatively how beneficial each investment is to the people and to the local economy:

Generally nice article. However, I thought the section on investment flows was somewhat misleading, although the overall question — why are Malaysians investing abroad — is valid and important.

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Murum Dam misery for displaced Penan

Anil Netto
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A few days ago, The Star reported that the relocation of seven Penan villages affected by the proposed RM3 billion Murum Dam in Belaga, Sarawak would be carried out according to the findings of a social and environmental impact assessment.

State environmental adviser James Dawos was reported as saying that the government had appointed consultants to conduct the study, expected to be completed by year-end, and would consider their report before coming up with a resettlement plan. The villages affected are Long Wat, Long Luar, Long Tangau, Long Menapa, Long Singu, Long Malim and Long Uba. Long Wat villagers face double jeopardy: they are to be “temporarily relocated” (to enable the construction of a cofferdam to divert the river) before later resettlement.

Here’s what one analyst had to say in response:

The major omission in this news report is that it does not canvass the views of the affected Penan.

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