Sunday June 17, 2012
Rival hikes for journalists to prove a point over hills
GEORGE TOWN: The DAP took a group of journalists to have a closer look at Penang Hill to prove the party's point that the hills in Penang are not dying.
Not to be outdone, Gerakan also plans to bring journalists to Tanjung Bungah and Batu Ferringhi in the next several days to show, on the contrary, how the hillslopes had been devastated.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, along with state executive councillor Phee Boon Poh and a group of Penang Municipal Council representatives, hiked up to Station 3 of the Penang Municipal Park (commonly known as Youth Park), located some 248m above sea level here yesterday.
"The hills in Penang are not dying. Even when you look down from here, you can't see any development because we (the state) have not approved any building development above 76.2m," Lim said.
He reiterated that 19 upcoming developments that were above 76m were approved by the previous Barisan Nasional administration as "special projects".
"Of course, we are unhappy about this but we are unable to stop these developments as we are liable to be sued," he added.
State Gerakan local government bureau head Teh Leong Meng said they had originally planned to bring the journalists today but had to postpone it in order to get "clarification".
Lim also issued an open invitation to Star Publications (M) Bhd executive director and group chief editor Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai to go hiking with him whenever the latter was in the state.
This came about after The Star reported on hillslope development issues in the state. Wong had written about the hills development issue in his Sunday column On the Beat on June 10.
He thanked the state government for inviting him to join the Penang Hill trek.
Wong had e-mailed Phee on Thursday to say he was unable to take part because of the short notice.
"However, I still maintain the visit should be to the northeast coastal areas where the hills are facing tremendous pressure because of the many projects coming up," he said.
Wong said any additional project, regardless of its height, would affect the hills.
"As a Penangite, I take a deep concern over the toll on the hills at the northeast coastal area," he said.
Wong said the impact was staring at those who lived along the stretch from Tanjung Bungah up to Teluk Bahang.
He said the previous Barisan Nasional and present Pakatan Rakyat state government should take responsibility over the issue.
Wong urged the present state government to listen to the views of resident associations, especially the Tanjung Bungah Residents Association.
On Wednesday, Tanjung Bungah assemblyman Teh Yee Cheu had lashed out against hillslope projects in Penang, particularly in the northeast coastal area, and the proposed construction of a 49-storey "super condo" on the Batu Ferringhi seafront.
On June 4, the Consumers Association of Penang and Sahabat Alam Malaysia said Penang was becoming uninhabitable due to "mindless development".
I was told that even Pykett Methodist School will also be gone soon. There goes my primary school where we had so much fun. The famous mee mamak at CRC was from our canteen.
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cpl if u miss mee mamak; just attend PEKIDA functions and u can savour all sorts of mee !
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tunglang can form a ngo named PYKETTa to create awareness and fundings for conservation efforts.
Just look at ngo Pekida running parallel with umno to create "events" in Penang; may be a ngo can be more effective to achieve the means.
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I think tunglang prefer to be 'elusive' to retain his 'market value' among Anil's readers.
There is a conspiracy theory that tunglang is actually Anil in disguise, something like an alter-ego, as a way to generate alternative viewpoints.
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Haha, I assure you tunglang is not me.
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This tunglang is both real & surreal – flesh & blood, & spirit, just like his art.
And very Tham Chiak Kui too.
I welcome any conspiracy theory about tunglang – even a theory that I may be from the 60′s & 70′s dimension replaying its past in the present Cosmopolitan Penang!
Want to see me in this dimension?
When (if) the Penang Street Food Museum becomes a reality, I will be haunting the corridors of gastronomical desires for surreal heavenly street food of Penang Ori-Maestros.
For the time being, I am still searching the ruin for restless Madame Pykett.
A ruin executed so devastating, senseless & heartless, it left no memory pebbles or fragile bones of her heritage past.
Only timeless impressions lingering in the air & vicinity of once picturesque, quiet & serene 20, Pykett Avenue.
It's late afternoon. Time for Kopi-O, tea or apple of my eyes.
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