The local government in a democratic country should enjoy the autonomy and possess the integrity to make its own policies, rules and guidelines, city councillor Khoo Salma Nasution told a full council meeting of the Penang Island City Council in a landmark address this morning. “The council should ensure its own rules are not compromised, that they do not need to bow to the developer’s logic, to all sorts of development pressures or to political pressures, just because Penang is a ‘land-scarce’ state.”
Penang Forum 8: Dialogue on floods – a call to action (videos)
Representatives from all parties turned up for Penang Forum 8, which was attended by over 200 people.
Najib’s Budget 2018
How will Najib narrow the fiscal deficit ahead of the general election while dishing out the ‘goodies’ especially to rural voters? What about allocations for healthcare, low-income housing and universities?
Tanjung Bungah landslide: Penang commission of inquiry must have broad scope
The Tanjung Bungah Residents Association released the statement below. Incidentally, the chairperson Meenakshi was one of those detained under the ISA led under the Operation Lalang crackdown exactly 30 years ago today.
Tanjung Bungah landslide: Five REAL facts you should know (updated)
Some purported “facts” are being circulated about the Tanjung Bungah project.
Has Tanjung Bungah development been in line with Penang Structure Plan?
The over-riding plan governing development in Penang is the Penang Structure Plan. Gazetted in 2007, it should be legally enforceable.
Tanjung Bungah landslide: Penang government, council must explain why DoE objection ignored
The Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP), Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) and the Tanjung Bungah Residents Association (TBRA) are shocked to learn that the Penang state government and the Penang Island City Council have chosen to ignore the objection of the Department of Environment (DoE) for siting the development of the residential project in Lembah Permai, Tanjung Bungah.
BFM Radio interview: Tanjung Bungah tragedy – who’s to blame?
This is the BFM interview with me on the Tanjung Bungah landslide traged ythat was aired at 8.30am today across the Klang Valley. See what you make of it.
At packed press conference, Penang NGOs call for wide-ranging independent probe on landslide tragedy
Civil society groups in Penang – Penang Forum (of which Aliran is part), the Consumers Association of Penang, Sahabat Alam Malaysia, and residents groups as well as environmental group Peka – turned up in full force at a packed press conference this morning to call for an end to all hill-slope development.
Tanjung Bungah landslide site was the very first case highlighted by Penang Hills Watch
Of the dozens of cases of hill clearing highlighted by Penang Hills Watch, the site of the disaster this morning was the first in a series of dozens of cases brought to the attention of local authorities earlier this year.