You would be forgiven for not knowing the results of a new study on how climate change is going to raise sea levels to a level higher than earlier expected. After all, who wins the English Premier League is way more important to the media and many of us than inundation by rising sea levels, right?
And so it is business (including property development and land reclamation) as usual…
Over a hundred residents in the Jesselton area, and nearby areas such as Casa Grande, have objected to the proposed development around the Penang Turf Club (lots 403, 28 and 278).
[English version below] Hi semua, kami ingin menjemput anda semua ke tayangan filem Mission Blue, anjuran Kuasa bersama Aliran pada Sabtu, 25 Februari 2017 pada jam 2.30 tengah hari di Rumah Aliran.
This is the scene at Padang Merbok, where some 50,000 are attending a rally in support of Hadi’s bill.
Suasana terkini di Padang Merbok yang dibanjiri peserta himpunan. –Foto Sinar Harian pic.twitter.com/Rpglns0alN
— SinarOnline (@SinarOnline) February 18, 2017
Mind you, this is without any obstacles, roadblocks or threats of arrest. (And so can have a fair idea of how many people Pas could contribute to a Bersih rally.) This is more or less the number of supporters Pas could pack into a stadium in say, Kelantan and Terengganu.
Indeed, the numbers appear well short of Hadi’s prediction of a 200,000 turnout – and it is hardly a ringing nationwide endorsement of his bill. My good friend, Tasik Gelugor Pas information chief Abdul Rahman Kasim, was more guarded, forecasting 100,000 ahead of the rally. As friends, we have had frank exchanges – and strong differences of views – over whether Hadi’s bill is suitable for a diverse, multireligious society like ours. But no hard feelings.
Meanwhile, some 200 gathered for the Bebas counter rally at Taman Jaya. Among those addressing the crowd was Haris Ibrahim.
#TakNakUsul355 at Taman Jaya PJ pic.twitter.com/0XwyYSYV2o
— AyuMusa (@ayuscure) February 18, 2017
Anyway, it is good that the authorities have respected the right of both sides to gather peacefully and air their views at different venues.
Deja vu… Back in 2012, when the maximum density was increased from 30 homes per acre to 87 per acre, we were told that this would encourage developer to build more affordable homes. Did that happen? You tell me.
No mention of theme parks, shoppping malls, sky walks, cable cars, 18-hole golf resorts – some of the things that the state government believes will draw more tourists to Penang.
Instead, the CNN write-up focuses on the arts, culture, underground music, an indigenous plant, artisans, unique religious festivals and Balik Pulau’s natural charm.
Strange malleable rocks surfaced at Tanjung Bungah beach a couple of weeks ago. These videos were taken by a concerned visitor, Andrea Briglia, on 28 January at around 6pm.
One theory is that these could be balls of marine clay, material from the bottom of the sea found along the West Coast of the peninsula. These could have been dislodged when sand on the surface of the sea bed was sucked out – or something else could have stirred it out to the surface.
Another theory is that the mud balls are the result of land reclamation which has been going on in a big way since the 1990s. Reclamation material is a mixture of sand and mud, which is then deposited at the bottom of the sea nearby.
Any other theories out there?
The suggestion by a federal minister that Penang should become a federal territory is ludicrous…
More cutting of hill slopes… above photo taken yesterday.
And do you know what else is happening over at the Turf Club? Penangites saved the greenery from the horrendous Penang Global City Centre project in 2007-2008 – only to end up with this:
The Penang Hills Watch (PHW) initiative of Penang Forum (PF) has submitted its maiden report on hill-clearing cases in Penang to the state government. The report, submitted on 2 January 2017, covers cases and complaints that PHW has tracked over the past few months.