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“Otak-tak-centre” approach to heritage conservation?

Anil Netto
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So the Penang government will consult Unesco to come up with a solution to the scandal of the four proposed high-rise buildings in the George Town world heritage core and buffer zones. In the meantime, the developers concerned have been advised to halt their projects temporarily to placate the public and to avoid risking the world heritage status.

Are they trying to persuade Unesco to agree to those four high-rise buildings? It’s not a question of whether Unesco agrees or disagrees. It’s really a question of whether we value our own priceless heritage, which is unique in this region. Look at how other historical cities in Europe have strict guidelines as to what kind of buildings are allowed and what aren’t in their own heritage areas – even without a world heritage listing. Over here, guidelines are just for show (or to secure world heritage status); nobody cares about enforcing them… as long as quick (short-sighted) profits can be made.

Why is the state bending over backwards to please these developers? You tell me. Oh yes, that familiar line again; repeat after me, all together now, “They will claim compensation from the state if we don’t allow them.” That’s pathetic. Let them try and do that, and we shall see if the people of Penang will be amused.

An irate Penang resident and blog reader, Andrew, sends this comment:

Why does this DAP-PKR govt have to consult Unesco for a win-win solution? The only win-win should be for the people of Penang and for heritage conservation.

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Mystery woman shows up at PJ candlelight vigil

Anil Netto
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Norlaila, with her son by her side, shares her experience of having her husband detained under the ISA for more than six years

The mystery woman ‘M’

Rakyat@work reports from PJ:

2400: As we parted, Benz says to me. “Tonight was something special indeed; more new faces, more new testimonies, more new insights into the rakyat’s hopes and dreams; in fact, every vigil night, there is something new and refreshing to take home.”

I couldn’t agree with him more. God is good and so are our bros and sis who are blind to race. It feels so good. See you all next week? Over and out.

2210: Vigil ends.

2200: Well, its getting late now, the latest so far. Somehow, the crowd is reluctant to leave. There’s something special about tonight. Richard Yeoh once more leads us into our national anthem, Negaraku, and boy, it sounds a lot better now. No off keys this time, ha ha, it almost sounds as if it’s coming from a CD or tape recorder.

2135: Next comes a gentleman from the PKR. He speaks of the good old days when anthems were sung with such pride and unity among all races. What a contrast to today. It’s a sad, sad story these days… when we are plagued with ‘man-made’ problems.

It’s ironic, isn’t it? While other nations battles with natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis and droughts, we, in Malaysia, have to contend with problems created by ourselves.

A woman speaks of the fear of standing up to be counted. She encourages her friends to come for the vigil and shares with us how many others are being either ‘brainwashed’ by fear or living in bondage.

Another speaker, Lokman, asks that the momentum of the vigils be sustained. Have faith in the rakyat playing their part, he says. He has experienced the change and is convinced it’s already working. The good news is that many more Malay sisters and brothers are coming out now.

2110: After Norlaila comes the next surprise! Most of the crowd are caught unaware… not by the FRU but by the presence of a brave lady.

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Pave paradise to put up 800 parking bays in Youth Park

Anil Netto
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Canadian song-writer Joni Mitchell felt compelled to write the song “Big Yellow Taxi” when during a visit to Hawaii she took a taxi to a hotel and peered out of the hotel room window the next morning. She described what she saw to journalist Alan McDougall:

… I threw back the curtains and saw these beautiful green mountains in the distance. Then, I looked down and there was a parking lot as far as the eye could see, and it broke my heart… this blight on paradise. That’s when I sat down and wrote the song.

The line “Paved paradise to put up a parking lot” could well describe what we are doing to our Pearl of the Orient, which is rapidly turning into one big parking lot.

“Don’t it always seem to go, you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone…”

Now I have stumbled onto plans to put up 800 parking bays at the Penang Youth Park. 800?! Are they out of their minds? We have such limited recreational areas and parks – and they can think of putting up 800 parking bays? Someone, please tell me it’s all a misunderstanding…

I got this information from an official-sounding website Adun PP Net. This is what it says:

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Make a date with RPK, Thuan Chye and Jo Kukathas

Anil Netto
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Raja Petra Kamarudin and playwrights Kee Thuan Chye and Jo Kukhatas will be appearing on the Riz Khan show at 10.00pm on Wednesday, 3 December over Al Jazeera English (Channel 513 Astro). They will be discussing Malaysian politics and culture and touching on the ISA among other things.

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RPK’s legal battle continues

Anil Netto
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7

RPK lives to fight another day as the Sessions Court has effectively left it to the High Court to decide which court should hear his case – the Sessions Court or the magistrate’s court.

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PKR congress, yoga fatwa and sordid politics

Anil Netto
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Heading to the PKR congress Photo by Amiruddin

Blogger Amiruddin will be covering the PKR congress, which is expected to draw thousands.

Read Farish Noor’s article on the yoga fatwa here.

And check out ABC’s Foreign Correspondent documentary on Malaysia’s sordid and sensational politics here.

The spectre of job losses haunts Malaysia

Anil Netto
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The global recession is already creeping up on us with the spectre of job losses looming. Already, we hear multinational corporations here slowing down production, asking workers to take annual leave and going for planned shutdowns. No bonus, no increments, etc…

That’s not surprising. US third quarter 2008 economic growth was already in negative territory: – 0.5 per cent (preliminary figure). Personal consumption in the States was down by 3.7 per cent – and that could worsen – while retail sales fell 15 per cent. Housing prices there are expected to slide further.  US unemployment could soar to 8.5-9.0 per cent by the end of 2009.

That’s grim reading, isn’t it? It would be foolish to think Malaysia can be spared, especially when traditionally, 20 per cent of Malaysia’s exports have gone to the United States – 12 per cent to the giant US electronic multinationals – while Europe is also sucked into the maelstrom.

Blog reader Drachen mocks the thinking in some circles:

Nah, Anil! Don’t be a Chicken Little! Malaysia’s economy has STRONG FUNDAMENTALS! We are managed by SUPERIOR LEADERSHIP! NOTHING will affect our growth and prosperity! We can take ANYTHING the world can throw at us! We are IMMUNE! Let’s all go back to sleep! HAHAHA!

We are talking of a recession in Malaysia that could be worse than that of 1997, which was essentially triggered by a regional financial crisis. In contrast, the coming recession would be more akin to what we experienced in 1986, when exports weakened and commodity prices slumped, sparking job losses.

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LA turns to solar energy; why not Malaysia?

Anil Netto
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“Why solar? L.A. enjoys 276 days of sunshine a year, according to the mayor’s office. Solar would also help cut down on the city’s notorious smog.”

Well, why don’t we seriously consider solar? If Los Angeles can move towards solar – the city is aiming for 35 per cent of its energy from renewables – there is no reason Malaysia can’t move in that direction now. If we start now, we can pre-empt any move towards nuclear power plants, which, knowing our maintenance culture, would be a disaster waiting to happen.

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..and they keep coming back to pray for ISA detainees

Anil Netto
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Praying in solidarity with those unjustly detained

They keep coming back, week after week, to pray for the release of the detainees… What drives them to pray for total strangers who have been unjustly detained? It is their belief that God cares deeply about justice for everyone.

The weekly Wednesday Masses continue to be held at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Pulau Tikus, Penang. About a hundred people turned up tonight to pray for the release of ISA detainees and the repeal of the ISA. One senior nun was seen wearing not one, but two ‘Abolish ISA’ badges!

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RM1b more needed for flood mitigation in Penang?

Anil Netto
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The Penang state government has said it needs RM970 million more from KL for flood mitigation projects to prevent flash floods.

It says it has identified seven more areas that require such projects and this would cost RM670 million. Another RM300 million would be needed for 50 water pump stations and five retention ponds.

Areas worst affected by floods are Jalan P Ramlee, Teluk Kumbar and Teluk Bahang on the island and kampongs near rivers on the mainland as well as Kampung Tok Suboh in Bukit Mertajam.

Activist Ong Eu Soon, however, says only a small fraction of that RM1 billion would be needed if the government were to opt for storm water management, which would involve building storm wells with filters in strategic locations. Check out his proposal, which he says uses the latest US technology.

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