Hundreds gatherered outside the High Court in Penang on Monday morning to give Anwar a Reformai welcome in Penang. As you can see, Anwar still has considerable support from a significant number of Malaysians. Look at the number of guards as well.
Why Penang is no. 2 in CNN’s best places to visit in 2017
Penang was chosen for its sumptuous street food and nostalgic heritage setting and easy walkability in the city.
Not for its skywalk or theme parks or 40-storey (and 60-storey) towers or Botak Hill or planned artificial islands or six-lane highways or golf courses or polluted sea water. You get the drift.
Unfortunately, if we don’t protect our prized assets, the way we are going, we are rapidly losing whatever charm we have left. We are even allowing rows of pre-war buildings in the broader heritage setting to be sold to developers who want to build more towers. That’s so short-sighted.
In uncharted waters, 1MDB’s fourth auditor faces formidable task
Parker who? That was a common reaction on 5 January 2017, when 1MDB revealed its latest auditor – a little known firm – after three Big Four auditors had fallen by the wayside for one reason or another.
Parker Randall was reported to be an “international auditing firm” with its website revealing “independent member firms” in 50 countries around the world.
One of them is a Malaysian firm by the name of Afrizan Tarmili Khairul Azhar, also known as aftaas with its head office in Rampai Business Park in Setapak and offices in Shah Alam, Ipoh, Kuantan, Johor Bahru and Kota Bharu.
Saifuddin Nasution faces tricky balancing act as Penang CM’s adviser
PKR secretary general Saifuddin Nasution’s appointment as the Penang chief minister’s strategic adviser has raised eyebrows among certain quarters.
Penang government must provide itemised breakdown of land sales, profits since 2008
So we now know that the Penang Development Corporation, a state government agency, sold land parcels for proceeds totalling RM1.9bn from 2008 to 2015.
But PDC recorded a “net profit” of only RM147m after deducting RM1.8bn for “land acquisition, development costs over the land in providing infrastructure and holding costs” (see below).
As questions have been raised over land sales, the state government must provide an itemised listing of the PDC land sales totalling RM1.9bn: date sold, selling price per square foot, size/area, location, buyers, the market prices at the time, and payment terms.
[The state government should provide a separate listing of its own land sales totalling RM1.1bn – or is it RM658m (see figures in press statement below dated 4 January 2017)? So are we talking about RM2.5bn-3bn in land sales in total by both the state government and PDC?]
Rafizi’s Invoke to hold fundraising dinner in Penang on 15 January
Dinner invitation cards are available from Dr Toh Kin Woon 019-4144392. Donations for tables going for RM1,000, RM3,000 and RM5,000. Single loose seats going for RM100 per person at the RM1,000 tables.
8pm, 15 January at Penang Chinese Town Hall.
Funds can be transferred to INVOKE Solutions’ bank account:
INVOKE Solutions Sdn Bhd
Maybank account number: 5622 0964 0698
Rafizi’s message below:
An unusual Christmas homily for our time
(The singer above is Majida El Roumi Baradhy, a Lebanese soprano and UN Goodwill Ambassador.)
A good friend of mine shared with me his Christmas homily. I thought it was too good to keep to myself; so I am sharing it with you – though he prefers to remain anonymous. The homily touches on how the “religious observance” vs commercialisation of Christmas contestation has masked the radical message of Christianity against the “domination systems” of our world.
Dr Lim Mah Hui’s resignation speech to Penang Island City Council
Dr Lim Mah Hui has stepped down as MBPP councillor representing the civil society coalition Penang Forum after serving six years. Penang Forum has nominated another individual to represent civil society in Penang for the coming year. This is Mah Hui’s resignation speech:
Ill-conceived proposal for Penang Hill cable cars over eco-sensitive areas
Penang Forum notes: “A special review panel was appointed by the state government to study the Special Area Plan (for the Botanic Garden). The cable car proposal was put in at the last stage and NOT presented to the public. The state review panel itself strongly objected to the cable car for various reasons of environment, usage and traffic.”
So whose idea was the cable cars and how was it quietly put in over the objections of the state review panel? This kind of reminds me of the way the tunnel and three highways were inserted into the Penang transport masterplan prepared by Halcrow.
This is the full Penang Forum statement:
It is with great concern and trepidation that Penang Forum wishes to issue a statement about the proposed cable car link announced in the press today.
Penang land reclamation: ‘The incompetent leading the unwilling to do the unnecessary’
Our guest writer today is Eric Britton, who discusses the land reclamation in southern Penang island, which is linked to the over-the-top SRS proposal for the Penang transport masterplan.
Step 1: Dump the land reclamation plan which has no good reason for existing. It is a rapacious, wrong-minded insult to the people of Penang, to the environment, nature, culture, wellbeing and way of life. You are being held hostage by your government for no good reason. And certainly, not that of needing more money to finance a ridiculous “transport master plan” that cannot stand independent international inspection.