This is something I wrote a week ago:
As I write this, the large Pas rally in support of Hadi’s bill was scheduled to take place in KL on 18 February 2017.
While it is well within Pas’ right to hold this rally, its private member’s bill (Hadi’s bill) has raised uneasiness, especially in our plural and multi-religious society.
The ruins of dormitories and leper homes, old reservoirs and undergound chambers, places of worship, jail cells, even a courtroom add an eerie touch to the island’s natural greenery that should be preserved as a state treasure for Penang.
I am appalled and still cannot fathom how, between a federal agency (Uda) and a state agency (PDC), 80 acres (a huge chunk of the flat land) of this national/state treasure could land up with a private developer, Ideal Property (which paid just RM160m for a 49 per cent stake that was previously held by PDC).
Was there any public participation in this decision? Who were involved in the negotiations with Ideal at all stages? Was this matter tabled at the Penang State Assembly for debate?
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…