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After stalling RM25bil project, PGCC Campaign Group calls for Local Plans in Penang

Anil Netto
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PGCC press conference

Fresh from their success in stalling the PGCC project, the civil society PGCC Campaign Group held a press conference yesterday to put forward their position and demands.

Essentially, the civil society groups are asking for Local Plans to be prepared first – with full public participation – before any development can be approved.

Once the Local Plans are finalised, any major development should have a detailed EIA, which should also include a traffic report and a flood risk assessment. These detailed EIAs should be prepared by competent, independent consultants.

Here is the full press statement:

Penang government should put Local Plans in place before allowing further development in Penang

The PGCC Campaign Group would like to make clear its position on the proposal to develop the Turf Club land.

Before all else we would like to emphasise that, contrary to some press reports, the opposition to this project did not come solely or even primarily from the residents of Jesselton. Most of the anger came from ordinary Penang folks, and it was widespread; bridging all racial, generational and income groups.

We are grateful that the CM has put a temporary halt to it, and without being churlish we hope it is not a mere election ploy.

Be it as it may, we wish to state in unequivocal terms that the Chief Minister, no matter how well meaning or how well experienced he is, is not the person to determine how the site should be developed.

The international team of experts that Dato Patrick Lim is assembling, no matter how eminent, also has no right to dictate what should be built on this lovely site.

The only group that has the sole right to make that decision is the people of Penang. The site is so big and prominent as a landmark that it belongs to all of us. Any development there will change the face of the Island and will have far reaching consequences (social, cultural and traffic) for all of us for generations to come.

Every pre-requisite of good democratic governance requires that the public (and not just the immediate neighbours) should be consulted. This is why local plans are required under the Town & Country Planning Act, which give an opportunity for every member of the public to give their views and participate in the decision-making of what the details of development in the area in question should look like. The Local Plan is an essential planning document, and it is our stand that no plan should even be considered before a Local Plan is finalised.

At the same time we wish to be assured that the Local Plan will be done fully in the spirit of the Act; that the public will be consulted at all stages; that their views will be given proper consideration; and the Planning Committee will operate transparently.

This principle of involving public participation at every level of decision-making is further underscored by the commitment of the Malaysian government to the Rio Declaration and Agenda 21 which was the outcome of the Rio Summit in 1992.

We will resist very strongly any attempt to develop the Turf Club land without a Local Plan or to subvert the planning process or the Local Plan by reducing them to a series of pro forma exercises.

In addition, the State Government should expedite Local Plans for the whole of Penang, prior to further developments in the State, given experience of the PGCC and other haphazard developments which are taking place.

Following the finalisation of the Local Plan, we also request the State, the Municipal Council of Penang (MPPP) and the Department of Environment (DOE) require project proponents of any major developments to prepare a detailed EIA, including a traffic report and a flood risk assessment. These studies should be done by reputable and independent consultants chosen by the MPPP and DOE (and not by the project proponent).

In this regard, we were most outraged that the DOE in the case of the PGCC project, had approved a preliminary EIA without a consideration of the traffic study and without an opportunity for public review and consultation. The DOE ought to have insisted upon a detailed EIA, given the nature and scale of the project.

Dato Patrick Lim has in several public statements said that he wants to be a responsible developer and has given the assurance that he will abide by all local and international guidelines to create a sustainable project that will be acceptable to all. If he is genuine, and is not just making a public relations statement, he should not object to any of our proposals in the public interest.

In summary, our position is this:

  • There should be no development until a Local Plan is in place for the Penang Turf Club site.
  • In addition, the State Government should expedite Local Plans for the whole of Penang, prior to further developments to ensure proper and effective planning.
  • The Local Plans should be done transparently with full public participation.
  • Detailed EIA, including a traffic report and a flood risk assessment, by competent and independent consultants are required for any development in the present and future Turf Club area once the local plans are finalised.

We will be extremely upset by any attempt to circumvent any of the above recommendations.

Ahmad Bin Chik
for and on behalf of the PGCC Campaign Group

  • Consumers Association of Penang (CAP)
  • Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM)
  • Penang Heritage Trust (PHT)
  • Aliran
  • Malaysian Nature Society (MNS)
  • Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram)
  • Citizens For Public Transport (Cepat)
  • Jesselton Heights Residents Association
  • Residents Association of Jesselton
  • Tanjung Bungah Residents Association
  • Badan Warisan Malaysia
  • Friends of the Penang Botanic Gardens

Corporate takeover of agriculture gathers pace

Anil Netto
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More worrying developments regarding the corporate takeover of agriculture.

Nestle is eyeing the commercialisation of traditional red rice varieties in Sarawak. It is also trying to promote contract farming – perhaps something similar to what Sime Darby has in mind for the Northern Corridor.

It is presumptuous that these huge multinational corporations think they can teach traditional farmers, who have vast experience growing traditional seed varieties, a thing or two about good farming practices. What they will very likely do is make the farmers more dependent on agricultural inputs such as patented or hybrid seeds, fertilisers, and pesticides. The farmers will lose their independence in terms of the decision making over appropriate farming methods.

There are also moves to develop hybrid rice in Sarawak. Check out this disturbing assessment from Grain.org here.

Mainstream media poised to turn into BN propaganda channels

Anil Netto
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It has already started. I mean, the propaganda over the mainstream media. This time we can expect it to be worse, given that the Barisan Nasional is going to face stiff contests in many areas.

So what are we to do? It does get sickening as polling day approaches when whatever remaining journalistic ethics are thrown out of the window. The mainstream media, on the whole, are then transformed into full-blown propaganda organs of the ruling coalition. Corporate propaganda is also likely to make its presence felt as certain large firms all but openly endorse the ruling coalition through not-too-subtle advertisements.

MEDIA-MALAYSIA: Call To Boycott Newspapers For Biased Reporting
By Anil Netto

PENANG, Jan 31 (IPS) – Fed up with what they see as biased and distorted reporting, a group of concerned Malaysians has launched a campaign urging the public to boycott newspapers ahead of a general election widely expected in March.

The mainstream print media are largely controlled by ruling coalition parties or business interests close to them. Though already pro-establishment in their reporting, they usually turn into full-blown propaganda tools of the ruling coalition in the days leading up to a general election, say critics.

The call for a ”Paper-less Tuesday” — calling on the public to abstain from newspapers on Tuesdays, for a start — was launched on Monday by a working committee under the ‘People’s Parliament’ initiative.

Full article

Drop in donations for Batu Caves supports eye-witness impressions of turnout

Anil Netto
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The Batu Caves temple authorities have made public their takings for this year’s Thaipusam celebrations.

Malaysiakini reported that the temple collected only RM1.04 million this year compared to RM1.8 million last year – that’s a 42 per cent plunge in takings. (That’s assuming all the money has been properly accounted for.)

This corroborates the impressions of eye-witness sources who told me there was a 30-50 per cent drop in the attendance when they visited the Batu Caves temple early on Thaipusam morning.

Lingam inquiry: Cowing civil society into silence?

Anil Netto
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So the Commission of Inquiry thinks that Aliran’s statement on the refusal of the Commission to call in certain witnesses is “on the verge” of contempt.

That is so sad. They expect civil society to sit back and stomach the sort of testimony that is being offered in total silence while potentially important witnesses are left on the sidelines.

In an interview with Malaysiakini, Lingam’s youngest brother, Rajendram (the one that the Commission does not want to hear), summed up the state of the proceedings as follows:

Exactly what kind of lies is Lingam allegedly saying to the commission? You mentioned he has been lying to the royal commission about Thirunama’s mental health.

All these Tuns and Tan Sris and Dato Seris, my opinion is to save your own bl**dy skins. Simple. There’s a few things I don’t like. Assassins, cowards, and tainted angels. You make a hundred million, they’ll come and shake your hand. They want a share of the pie. They’ll use you and cannibalise you. Now they tak tahu (don’t know) you, lah. Tak tahu. I tak tahu. Dia mabuk. India mabuk. (He’s drunk. The Indian’s drunk). Ya lah.

So you’re saying it’s not just Dato Lingam who’s telling lies?

Use your imagination. You all are learned. You read ‘Animal Farm’ (book by George Orwell). You read all these books. Don’t you all? I’m sure you had good teachers. One person, Lingam – just an advocate and solicitor. He’s signing the judgment, you see? Is he signing the judgment? Who’s holding judgement? What happened to (late journalist) MGG Pillai’s case?

You’ve been rejected as a witness at the royal commission. Do you feel disappointed?

I feel disappointed, but I think the end of the matter is, I think I’ve said it. I’ll repeat myself. The bench must have integrity. People who serve the country and do justice, follow the rule of law. Then only can you call upon the bar on … The advocate and solicitor will toe the line. To have professionalism, to have ethics. You’re corrupted … Your master is corrupted, what more an advocate. They also will join in. Everyone will beat the drum.

One hopes that the Commission will be able to connect the dots and look at the larger picture (which, incidentally, almost all thinking Malaysians can see) revealing the real state of the judiciary.

Suharto dies with blood on his hands – but did he really improve the economy?

Anil Netto
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He had a lot of blood on his hands. A mass murderer. But he was held in high esteem by Western leaders (and Asean leaders too: they were practically falling over one another to pay tribute to him). Why?

More than 500,000 – perhaps close to a million – were massacred in the mid-1960s, as a result of a purge on suspected communists and sympathisers, which also targeted peasants. The CIA even chipped in by supplying a list of people it wanted eliminated, as John Pilger describes:

The US embassy in Jakarta supplied Suharto with a “zap list” of Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) members and crossed off the names when they were killed or captured. Roland Challis, the BBC’s south east Asia correspondent at the time, told me how the British government was secretly involved in this slaughter. “British warships escorted a ship full of Indonesian troops down the Malacca Straits so they could take part in the terrible holocaust,” he said. “I and other correspondents were unaware of this at the time… There was a deal, you see.”

Then came the invasion of East Timor, which led to a loss of some 180,000 lives. This was carried out with a wink and a nod from then President Ford and his Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.

Tens of thousands of Indonesians were also killed in places like Aceh and West Papua.

Mainstream foreign commentators tend to say, well, okay, he was responsible for mass murder, but look, he improved and modernised the Indonesian economy – as if that could somehow compensate for mass murder.

But really, did he improve the lot of Indonesia’s poor?

Many of the poor over there don’t seem to think so.

Listen to Allan Nairn, an award-winning journalist who has reported from Indonesia, speaking on Democracy Now! on the reaction to Suharto’s death:

Well, among the people in the poor compounds where I was, I guess the reaction was summed up by one woman who works in the market. She sells vegetables and cakes in one of the traditional markets. And she said, “Oh, Suharto, he died of overeating. He ate too much money. He ate so much that there wasn’t enough left for anybody else to eat.” People didn’t care, or they said good riddance. That seems to be the reaction among the poor.

But among those who made money off of Suharto, there seems to be some sadness. There also seems to be some sadness for the US ambassador. That quote you read defending Suharto, that’s the same argument that was used to defend Stalin. They said, oh, he killed a lot of people, but he developed the country economically. So if you buy that logic, the US should have been defending Stalin, as well.

In fact, if you compare Indonesia this day to Malaysia, a neighboring country which started out at the same economic level, after Suharto and the army got done with Indonesia, wages in Indonesia are about a sixth of what they are in Malaysia. There was growth in the sense—in Indonesia, in the sense of multinationals like Exxon coming in and taking the gas. People were coming in and taking the gold, new mines coming in and taking out their minerals, creating an export platform for Nike, etc. But in terms of lives of the poor—hunger, life expectancy, health, nutrition—people in Malaysia ended up doing much better, because there they took away power from the army, they put restrictions on the multinationals, and they had a different form of development. So the idea that Suharto’s mass murders were somehow balanced by economic progress he gave to the people is just factually incorrect, and it’s not surprising that poor people don’t seem bothered by his passing.

And I just want to add, if Suharto’s economic performance was that impressive, why then has there been a continuing exodus of poor Indonesians leaving their shores in search of jobs abroad – jobs that are often dirty, dangerous and degrading – leaving them pitifully vulnerable to exploitation?

John Pilger describes what the deal was, and why exactly Suharto was held in high esteem by Western leaders:

The deal was that Indonesia under Suharto would offer up what Richard Nixon had called “the richest hoard of natural resources, the greatest prize in south-east Asia”. In November 1967, the greatest prize was handed out at a remarkable three-day conference sponsored by the Time-Life Corporation in Geneva. Led by David Rockefeller, all the corporate giants were represented: the major oil companies and banks, General Motors, Imperial Chemical Industries, British American Tobacco, Siemens and US Steel and many others. Across the table sat Suharto’s US-trained economists who agreed to the corporate takeover of their country, sector by sector. The Freeport company got a mountain of copper in West Papua. A US/ European consortium got the nickel. The giant Alcoa company got the biggest slice of Indonesia’s bauxite. America, Japanese and French companies got the tropical forests of Sumatra. When the plunder was complete, President Lyndon Johnson sent his congratulations on “a magnificent story of opportunity seen and promise awakened”. Thirty years later, with the genocide in East Timor also complete, the World Bank described the Suharto dictatorship as a “model pupil”.

Vincent Tan denies he is influential; so tell us about the Sports Toto privatisation…

Anil Netto
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Malaysiakini has just reported that Vincent Tan has denied that he had much influence under the Mahathir administration:

He also said that it was a “real joke” to suggest that Mahathir consulted him on the appointment of judges as indicated in a video clip which featured lawyer VK Lingam.

“If I am so influential, I would have gotten many government projects but I didn’t,” he said.

Little influence, huh. One thing comes to mind: the privatisation of Sports Toto. Take a look at the Berjaya website:

The history of Sports Toto began in 1969 when it was incorporated to run the Toto betting business. It was essentially the Government’s effort to raise funds to promote and develop sports, youth and cultural activities.

Sports Toto was privatised in 1985 when its Chief Executive Officer, Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Vincent Tan Chee Yioun, through his private company acquired 70% of the paid-up capital.

It was one of the first privatisations under the Mahathir administration and it was done without open tender (Searle, Riddle of Malaysian Capitalism). State-run Sports Toto had recorded a profit of $7.03 million in the 12 months prior to the privatisation. So why the need to privatise in the first place?

At that time, Mahathir justified the privatisation by saying that “the idea came from a private sector group and it would have been unfair if their unique proposal had been accepted by the government and then awarded to someone else.”

What “unique proposal” to take over a profitable state-run lottery?

Today, Berjaya Sports Toto is the cash cow of the Berjaya group.

On another note, Vincent Tan should also tell us what he plans to do with theSun, until now the most independent English-language newspaper in Malaysia, and the reason for the timing of his takeover.

Joke of the week

Anil Netto
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So far, Malaysians have been entertained by the almost farcical proceedings of the commission of inquiry into the Lingam tape. Come on, we all know the real state of the judiciary.

But the joke of the week must be in the Malaysiakini headline just now. I burst out laughing when I read it.

“Dr M fears corruption in general election“

Apparently, he fears money politics and vote-buying tactics will be deployed to stem the ruling coalition’s losses.

He cannot be serious.

I remember some serious splashing out of “development” grants and announcements of development projects during election campaigns of the Mahathir era. Absolutely no understanding of how a caretaker government should behave in the run-up to the polls.

So pardon me while I try to stop laughing.

But of course, the Abdullah administration is unlikely to be any better. Just look at how much money was splashed around during the Ijok by-election campaign. It even prompted Samy Vellu to marvel, “Ten years’ development was delivered in 10 days.”

Talk about vote buying!

Lingam drops another bombshell in new video

Anil Netto
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This is truly scandalous and implicates another former top judge. Lingam also talks about his New Zealand holiday with Eusoff Chin.

Qur’an: “Tuhan kami, juga Tuhan kamu, adalah Satu”

Anil Netto
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This is the Malay translation of verse 29:46 from the Qur’an obtained from here:

Dan janganlah kamu berbahas dengan Ahli Kitab melainkan dengan cara yang lebih baik, kecuali orang-orang yang berlaku zalim di antara mereka dan katakanlah (kepada mereka): Kami beriman kepada (Al-Quran) yang diturunkan kepada kami dan kepada (Taurat dan Injil) yang diturunkan kepada kamu dan Tuhan kami, juga Tuhan kamu, adalah Satu dan kepadaNyalah, kami patuh dengan berserah diri.

Yusuf Ali’s English translation:

And dispute ye not with the People of the Book, except with means better (than mere disputation), unless it be with those of them who inflict wrong (and injury): but say, “We believe in the revelation which has come down to us and in that which came down to you; Our Allah and your Allah is one; and it is to Him we bow (in Islam).”

M. Pickthal’s English translation: 

And argue not with the People of the Scripture unless it be in (a way) that is better, save with such of them as do wrong; and say: We believe in that which hath been revealed unto us and revealed unto you; our Allah and your Allah is One, and unto Him we surrender.

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