July 8, 2012
Development as good as Penang: Finger-pointing reaches brand new heights
by Joceline Tan@www.thestar.com.my
PENANG island is carrying the bumper season for "designer durians" as good as tourists as good as locals alike have been creation their way up the mountainous country of Balik Pulau to feast upon the fruit. It has been the sweet season in truth for farmers of the thorny fruit.
But elsewhere upon the island, it is the season for an additional kind of thorns, namely, the thorny emanate of growth as good as the side effects.
The hot-button emanate in Penang currently is as well many development, for wish of the better word. This is quite an irony since the singular of the reasons why Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon was shown the door in 2008 was since Penang folk thought there was not sufficient growth in Penang.
As the well-connected developer Tan Sri Tan Kok Ping had claimed of Dr Koh during an interview, "18 years as good as zero to show", by way of observant which Dr Koh could have finished some-more for developers in Penang.
Dr Koh was not well known to be pro-developer as good as the integrate of big developers were so cheesed off with his policies they left Penang as good as returned only after Lim Guan Eng came to power.
It is the different situation today. Entire neighbourhoods have been worried about the pace as good as sort of growth taking place. Guan Eng, similar to it or not, has acquired the reputation as being as well pro-developer.
"In new years as good as some-mo! re so in new months, there has been the spate of protests from indignant residents in various tools of Penang island over what is function in their communities.
"This is not an isolated incident. It is quite widespread," pronounced city councillor Dr Lim Mah Hui.
The curious thing is which the protests have been taking place in upscale areas similar to Pulau Tikus, Tanjung Bungah as good as Sungai Ara. Middle-class folk have been entrance out with handcrafted placards to protest conflicting projects which have been affecting the peculiarity of life in their neighbourhoods.
Last week, residents in Pulau Tikus protested conflicting skeleton for the 27-storey commercial block where the limit height is only six storeys. The residents were all appalled since Pulau Tikus is already tormented by trade jams as good as parking woes. They bombarded their assemblyman Koay Teng Hai with all sorts of questions.All these, pronounced Mah Hui, have been signals which "something is not quite right".
In new days, pamphlets of "before" as good as "after" Google Earth images of the 
famed Batu Ferringhi seashore have been drifting about. The pictures show how immature mountainous country have turn petrify as good as tarmac. The "after" images were antiquated around 2010, ensuing in DAP claiming which the images were digitally tampered with. The fight over growth has escalated.
Guan Eng has, as usual, blamed the prior supervision for the state of affairs. He has regularly pronounced which his administration department department has not authorized the singular plan upon top of 76m except for immature areas similar to the park. He repeated all which last week during the press discussion alongside Penang Island City Council (MPPP) president Patahiyah Ismail.
Patahiyah, upon her part, released det! ails of 37 projects upon top of 76m which were authorized in in between 1985 as good as Mar 2008 underneath Dr Koh's supervision yes, Dr Koh was guilty as charged.
However, Patahiyah also handed out papers display which in in between Apr 2008 as good as May 2012, the sum of nineteen projects upon land upon top of 76m were since formulation capitulation by the MPPP; which would fall precisely underneath Guan Eng's tenure.
It left many reporters scratching their heads since the Chief Minister as good as Patahiyah were observant conflicting things about the same matter. Guan Eng pronounced there was no capitulation of projects upon top of 76m after 2008, though Patahiyah pronounced nineteen projects were approved.
They had contradicted each other during the same press discussion as good as they appear to have gotten away with it! It was pretty amazing.
To add to this, Ong Eu Soon, the social activist mostly quoted upon growth issues in Penang, has disputed Guan Eng's claim which his supervision has not authorized the singular growth which is upon top of 76m.
Ong did his own investigation as good as he has insisted which the high-rise common ownership plan in the Air Itam area was authorized in 2009 as good as it is sitting good over 76m upon top of sea level. The plan is upon the pleasing mountain well known as Bukit Hijau as good as is currently underneath construction.
According to Ong, the project, listed underneath the anxiety series of MPPP/OSC/PB(1963)/09, was authorized upon Apr 30, 2009. The developer then applied to amend the plan from the 29-storey unit plan to 38 storeys. The legislative addition got the immature light from MPPP upon Oct 14, 2009.
"The plan is definitely some-more than 76m tall since the finished plan upon the slant below was personal ! as upon top of 76m. The finished plan was authorized by the Barisan Nasional supervision though the brand new the singular was authorized by Guan Eng's government.
"I live inside of upon foot stretch of the two projects. Guan Eng should stop observant he has not authorized any growth aloft than 76m since this is only the singular case. we have some-more information upon this sort of projects which were authorized after Mar 2008," pronounced Ong who also contributes articles to Malaysian Insider as good as Malaysiakini.
It has been all as well convenient for Guan Eng to censure the prior supervision for all which goes wrong in Penang. After 4 years in power, Guan Eng should stop pointing as good as blaming as good as start seeking during his own administration.
He is the chairman of two of the many powerful committees in the state, namely, the State Planning Committee as good as the State Land Committee. He should provide some answers about his MPPP president's acknowledgment which nineteen projects upon top of 76m were authorized after 2008.
Governing Penang, as many politicians have learnt, is similar to opening the durian. It is the tasty ripened offspring though the thorns can hurt. It has to be handled with care.
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