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The Star: 29th. November 2004
PENANG: Equine Capital Bhd’s master plan to redevelop the Penang Turf Club site in Batu Gantung will be unveiled next March, according to its group executive chairman Datuk Patrick Lim Soo Kit.
Lim said the group was proposing a mixed development project comprising residential, commercial, and public amenities on the 256-acre Penang Turf Club site.
“Seven internationally renowned architects have submitted their proposals to develop the Penang Turf Club. These architects, who were specially invited, come from countries such as France, the United States, Germany, the Netherlands, and Japan,” he said in an interview.
The architects are Naserine Seraji (France); Hani Rashid, Michael Sorkin, and Thom Mayne (US); Almut Ernst (Germany); Ole Scheeren (Netherlands); Riken Yamamoto; and Tetsuo Furuichi (Japan).
“They spent several months in Penang, studying the culture and the needs of the locals before drafting their master plan. We have also partnered them with local architects to ensure that their drafts contain elements of Malaysian culture and heritage,” Lim said.
“Their drafts of the master plan incorporate the latest designs that take into consideration the need to preserve the environment, energy conservation, and the interaction between human beings and space. They were invited because of their work on modern urban development in their respective countries.”
Lim said the objective was to bring into the heart of Penang an iconic development project that contained solutions to issues for tomorrow’s cities.
“The plans are now undergoing a second round of fine-tuning and discussion,” he said.
Lim said the drafts contained designs of landscaping and buildings that would draw attention from people, enticing them to explore the project further.
“The interior and exterior of the buildings are designed, for example, to harness the forces of wind, light, and rainwater for cooling purposes, therefore reducing the usage of energy.
“Some of the drafts of the master plan contain designs of low-rise buildings that maximise the entry of light, reducing the reliance on artificial lighting.
“The landscaping is designed to be in harmony with the buildings, environment, and local surroundings, in other words taking into account of good feng shui.”
Professor Datuk Dr Ken Yeang from Asian Design Forum, an internationally recognised architect, headed the panel of seven judges, Lim said.
The other judges include internationally renowned architects and critics such as Professor Peter Cook from the Barlett School of Architecture & Archigram in Britain; Clifford Pearson, senior editor of Architectural Record, a renowned architecture journal in the US; and Professor Leon Van Schaik from RMIT Melbourne, Australia.
“The judges will select the best master plan for the Equine group to adopt,” Lim added.
Tim Christ, a senior architect from Morphosis, a California-based architecture firm, said their master plan draft incorporated the latest designs of landscaping to bring the legacy and heritage of Penang Hill into the redevelopment project.
“Our plan is to develop more buildings on a smaller area, so that there is space for landscaping and greenery. There will be a mixture of high and low-rise buildings. The low-rise ones would be designed to ensure there is cross ventilation of view from the interior to allow better penetration of natural light,” he said.
“The high-rise buildings would be designed to harness the forces of wind, rainwater, and light for cooling purposes. These designs are aimed at reducing the usage of energy,” he added.
Michael Sorkin, the principal from Michael Sorkin Studio in New York, said his draft master plan aimed at creating a self-sufficient community.
“We want to create a community where the residents can play, work, and shop at where they are living. The draft also allocates for an energy loop centre, which will distribute energy to the community, a transportation hub that will reduce traffic congestion within the community, and higher education and medical facilities,” he said.
Ole Scheeren, a partner of Office Metropolitan Architects in Holland, said his draft master plan contained designs that confined buildings to specific areas.
“Our design is also porous so that contemporary culture and heritage can claim space and existence in the project,” he said.
Gurney Drive stays toll-free under PORR project
BY LIM AI LEE
PENANG: Gurney Drive will remain “toll-free” to the public under the proposed RM1.02bil Penang Outer Ring Road (PORR) project.
There will be multiple entry pointsto Gurney Drive where about 65.9ha of its seafront will be reclaimed.
These details were outlined in a report on the terms of reference for the project’s environmental impact assessment study, now available at the George Town Library for public viewing.
The report, released on Nov 24, is put on public display, until Wednesday at the library in Jalan Scotland and the Penang Municipal Council on the 17th floor of Komtar.
The public has until Dec 15 to submit written views to the Director-General of the Department of Environment.
According to the report, of the 65.9ha, 13.2ha would be used for the proposed highway and 4ha for a public park.
It added that reclamation was necessary to support the development of the PORR, with the reclaimed land serving as a buffer area between the highway and Gurney Drive.
The reclamation is part of the PORR project to be undertaken by Peninsular Metro-Works Sdn Bhd-Peninsular Island Properties Joint Venture (PMW-PIP) to solve traffic woes.
The report stated that the PORR project would involve the construction of a major 17km highway along the inland fringes of George Town.
The alignment consists of two packages, with Package A starting from the North Coastal Road at Glugor to Gurney Drive, covering 12km, where a two-lane dual carriageway with viaducts would be built at hilly sections and elevated highway at the stretch between Jalan Utama/Jalan Gottlieb and Gurney Drive.
Package B, also a two-lane dual carriageway, will be constructed on the reclaimed land in Gurney Drive between Jalan Tanjung Tokong and Jalan Pangkor.
The report added that the alignment would run through hill fringes, residential and institutional areas.
The hill fringes are mostly uninhabited areas, parts of which adjoin residential areas and graveyards.
“Owing to the length of such a highway in a relatively urbanised area, environmental concern must be given to minimise disturbances and dislocations of existing land usage,” the report stated.
“Care must be given to preservation and conservation of the natural water hydrology as well as other natural resources.
“There shall also be the preservation and conservation of the aesthetic and rich historical heritage of Penang Island.”
http://img74.exs.cx/img74/1237/f6-PORR.jpg
http://img67.exs.cx/img67/7052/GurneyPark.jpg
PICTURE PERFECT PARK: An artist impression depicting the new public park that would be created with the proposed expansion and reclamation of Gurney Drive.
Another fine example of a Malaysian megalomania-project.
“Malaysia is free from any major natural catastrophe.”
Tell that to the folks who got swept away by the tsunami in Penang. Also why is it that the pending Second Penang Bridge nearby will be designed to resist a Richter 7 earthquake?
Penang’s Little Manhattan project
By ZARINAH DAUD
PENANG: Peninsular Metro-Works Sdn Bhd (PMW), the concessionaire for the Penang Outer Ring Road (PORR), has proposed to create a multi-billion ringgit man-made island off Penang coast, calling it “our own Little Manhattan.”
Group managing director Datuk Abdul Rahim Saibu said the project, scheduled to start in three years, would cover 148ha.
He said a planned high-cost mixed development on the man-made “Middle Bank” would incorporate a data centre and that the company wanted to attract multinational corporations to invest there.
“The island will be about 800m from Penang island, stretching from the north towards Pulau Jerejak and linked via a bridge,” he told StarBiz in an interview.
“It is still at the conceptual stage. At the moment, we are thinking of just one island. It could be more than one when the whole plan is under way,” he said.
Datuk Abdul Rahim Saibu Rahim said PMW was offering space for all the big companies to establish their disaster-recovery programme in Penang as “Malaysia is free from any major natural catastrophe.”
“Since the man-made island is close to the Bayan Lepas Industrial Area, it makes our Little Manhattan or Middle Bank an ideal place,” he said.
Rahim said the project would complement the 17km PORR project, as the company would also be granted reclamation rights covering 200ha at Gurney Drive and the Middle Bank.
PMW is expected to start work on PORR in April next year and the company would sign the concession agreement with the Government late next month or early September.
Rahim said the areas affected by the PORR development would have a strong identity and design structure with a high degree of environmental, social and economic sustainability.
“It is a massive agenda for PMW. We will deliver our objectives of creating a sustainable community in Penang. The development will be done in stages by taking public feedback into account.
“Penang needs a transition plan that addresses current and medium-term needs while the island prepares and adopts a new comprehensive master plan,” he added.
Rahim said the idea of Little Manhattan was borrowed from the state’s Central District Development Project, dubbed the “Manhattan Project” more than 20 years ago.
“The project offers a different attraction due to its proximity to the Penang International Airport, Penang Bridge and the new commercial hub being developed by IJM Properties,” he said.
Rahim said the company wanted to offer a modern and high-quality living to investors and expatriates and a cheaper alternative to Singapore.
The Penang and Federal Governments would benefit from this long-term project, he said.
http://thestar.com.my/archives/2007/8/1/nation/n_04badawi.jpg
[Photo: The Star - PM Abdullah (left) admiring a model of the Penang Sentral project in Penang yesterday. With him are Penang Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon (second from left), ......]
Penang to undergo transformation into major logistics, transportation hub
BUTTERWORTH: The Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER) project will see the transformation of Penang into a modern, vibrant city and a major logistics and transportation hub.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who unveiled a list of projects for the state under the NCER initiative here yesterday, said they would turn Penang into the “Gateway to the Northern Corridor”.
Big plans: Abdullah (left) admiring a model of the Penang Sentral project in Penang yesterday. With him are Penang Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon (second from left), Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Tajol Rosli Ghazali (fourth from left) and Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid (sixth from left).
With price tags reaching billions, the projects are not only concentrated on the eastern portion of the island but also in the more rural south-west district and in Seberang Prai.
Here is a summary of the projects:
# Penang Sentral integrated transport hub
The RM2bil modern transportation and logistics hub will be built on the site of the Butterworth ferry terminal, railway station and former bus terminal which burnt down in May 2001.
The project, which aims to transform Butterworth into a modern metropolitan area, covers 557,418 square metres and will replace the current Butterworth ferry terminal and railway station.
The hub will integrate rail, ferry, monorail and land transport modes.
The project will be developed by Malaysian Resources Corporation Bhd and Pelaburan Hartanah Bumiputra Bhd.
The first phase, involving the integrated transport and commercial outlets, is expected to take off next year and be completed in 2010.
In the interim, a RM5mil temporary bus terminal will be built at the site.
# Penang Global City Centre
The project will transform the site where the Penang Turf Club now stands in Bukit Gantung, George Town. It will be a modern city centre tailored for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions.
Besides an international exhibition and conference centre, the RM18bil project will also have shopping complexes, two five-star hotels, commercial and residential properties, a state-of-the-art cultural centre and a 10.5ha park.
The project, which will occupy a 105ha site, is being developed by Abad Naluri Sdn Bhd, an associate company of Equine Capital Bhd, and will take 15 years to complete.
The project is expected to create 5,000 construction jobs.
# Second Penang Bridge
Announced earlier, the RM2.7bil second link between the mainland and Penang will be 23km long and link Batu Kawan in Seberang Prai with Batu Maung on the south-eastern corner of the island.
Construction of the longest bridge in South-East Asia is expected to start in November and be completed in 2011.
It will be built under a joint-venture between UEM Builders Bhd and China Harbour Engineering Co Ltd.
China will provide a US$800mil (RM2.8bil) loan to the project, the largest amount given by China for a single project in a foreign country.
# Pulau Jerejak premier medical tourism centre
The 362ha island off the east coast of Penang island will be developed into a premier medical tourism centre in the region.
This is part of efforts to enhance Penang's strength in medical tourism.
Suitable incentive packages will be provided to develop the medical tourism industry to make it an engine of growth in the NCER.
# Penang-Butterworth fast ferry
A fast ferry service will be introduced for pedestrians and motorcycles next year as an addition to the present Penang ferry service. The ferry terminals at Butterworth and on the island will be upgraded.
# Penang Port expansion
Penang Port will be promoted as the leading port of the Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT).
Facilities at the port will be upgraded so that it will be able to handle more containers and bigger container ships.
# Bayan Lepas Airport expansion
The Bayan Lepas Airport will be made the premier air cargo hub in the IMT-GT and will handle high-quality perishable food items.
A new passenger and cargo terminal and additional runways will be built to cater for increasing air traffic.
# Penang Monorail
The monorail network will span a total of 37km. It will reduce traffic congestion on the island and in Seberang Prai.
# Swettenham Pier redevelopment
Swettenham Pier in George Town will be redeveloped into a new public transport system and commercial hub.
# Micro-Electronics Centre of Excellence
The centre will be built at the Universiti Sains Malaysia campus under a public-private partnership.
It will be used to increase the capability of local workers to shift from low-level manufacturing and assembling activities to value-added high technology activities such as the design of electronic, robotic and silicon items.
# Hospitality college
A college for hospitality studies will be built in Balik Pulau. A hotel will also be built there to provide practical training for its students.
# Khazanah Nasional Bhd regional office
Khazanah has opened its northern regional office in Penang to facilitate investments by government-linked and private-sector companies in the NCER.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/8/1/nation/18464349&sec=nation&focus=1
Govt urged to make Penang offshore financial hub
Developers: Explore incentives to attract banking institutions
Stories by DAVID TAN
PENANG: The Federal Government should explore transforming Penang into an offshore financial centre as part of the state’s intellectual infrastructure development, said Real Estate and Housing Developers’ Association (Penang) chairman Datuk Jerry Chan Fook Sing.
“Research, medical, and management faculties should be developed to enhance the remodelling of Penang as a high-value finance and education hub.
“There are presently countries such as Hong Kong and Singapore where the business environment is less cost competitive for financial and banking institutions to operate.
“These financial institutions and banks are now looking for suitable commercial hubs to expand.
“The Federal Government should explore the incentives it can offer to attract these banking and financial institutions to Penang,” he said.
Chan had earlier spoken on infrastructure-led expansion of the property market in the NCER: Seizing The Opportunities symposium organised by Abad Naluri Sdn Bhd on Saturday.
“By turning Penang into an offshore financial centre, the Government can also attract a lot of the financial talents who are now overseas to come back.
“The British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands and the Bahamas are examples of successful offshore financial centres,” he said.
Chan also said to stimulate economic growth in Penang, the Government should not overlook physical infrastructure projects that had been on the drawing board for a very long time.
These included the proposed ring road from George Town to Batu Ferringhi, the ring road from Butterworth to Bukit Mertajam and Nibong Tebal, the expansion of the Penang airport and renovation of the South Seberang Prai hospital.
On the proposed Penang Global City Centre (PGCC) project, Chan said his presence at the symposium did not signal his unreserved endorsement of the project as he was also a resident of the affected Jesselton neighbourhood.
“There are views and concerns of residents on the impact of the PGCC project that the developer, Abad Naluri, must address,” he said.
http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/11/20/business/19508492&sec=business
http://img74.exs.cx/img74/1237/f6-PORR.jpg
[Photo: http://img74.exs.cx/img74/1237/f6-PORR.jpg ]
IJM wants to bid for PORR project
By CHRISTINA CHIN
PENANG: IJM Properties Sdn Bhd is keen to bid for the Penang Outer Ring Road (PORR) project.
IJM Corp Bhd chief executive officer and managing director Datuk Krishnan Tan told reporters this after launching The Light waterfront development here on Friday.
“Yes, we would very likely consider bidding for the project since we have been very active in the Penang property market since 1983,” he said, adding that the IJM land bank included parcels in Bukit Jambul (island) and Butterworth (mainland).
“We have a land bank of about 161.9ha here,” he said.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, in his Budget 2008 speech, said the Government would call a tender for the RM1.02bil PORR project to alleviate traffic congestion on the island.
The project was originally awarded to concessionaire Peninsular Metro Works Sdn Bhd.
The PORR, initiated a decade ago, is one of three significant infrastructure projects in Penang under the Ninth Malaysia Plan, the others being the second Penang Bridge and the Penang monorail.
In his speech earlier, Tan said The Light project would cover 61.5ha of IJM’s 136.8ha reclaimed land on the eastern coastline of the island.
“The RM6.5bil project, with a total gross development value (GDV) of RM4bil, will be developed in three phases to be fully completed by 2017.
“Phase One would include residential developments while Phase Two would include commercial units like hotels, offices, conference and tourist facilities, and retail units like shopping, IT and fashion malls as well as dining and entertainment outlets. Other unique features under Phase Two are a floating stage and restaurant and marina with water taxis.
“Phase Three will be developed into a 2.8ha seafront park,” he said, adding that reclamation works were currently being done,” he said, adding that the company’s target market was local buyers from all over the country.
Jelutong Development Sdn Bhd - the company’s subsidiary, will undertake the project.
Present at the launching were Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon, IJM Properties Sdn Bhd managing director Teh Kean Ming and Jelutong Development Sdn Bhd director Datuk Syed Mohamad Aidid.
http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/11/23/business/20071123165003&sec=business
See earlier report on the PORR:
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showpost.php?p=2089&postcount=5
The current Penang Bridge has undoubtedly reached its traffic capacity.
Traffic congestion at the inbound toll booths is appalling.
There is still a great deal of work to do in expanding to three lanes (from two) on both carriageways of the approach viaducts. The piling work is far from finished. I saw some decking in progress on the mainland side. Doubtless, the plan is widen the inbound carriageway first, to take pressure off the tollbooths.
Penang Bridge (http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?t=3143) has definitely taken on the look of an old structure, but the suspension bridge section is being recabled right now. The bridge cables can actually be seen swaying, which to the layman suggests that they are winching in place new cables within the cable sheaths and then extracting the old ones after. Our resident bridge experts will doubtless enlighten us on this.
This recabling is also causing congestion, because the third (outer) lane of each suspension bridge carriageway is being used for contractors' plant and offices.
The bridge was supposed to be closed for half an hour yesterday afternoon to facilitate the removal of construction gantries. I arrived about the time that it was supposed to be reopened. The congestion was far lighter than inbound the previous day, but I had the feeling that the closure might have been rescheduled because of a fairly heavy monsoon.
Is it standard practice to actually barge out standard mobile cement mixers for this kind of bridge construction? I seem to remember that the Songkhla Bridge doubling project used barges with built-in mixers. (Admittedly they were probably the jury-rigged mixers off old mobile-mixers whose engines had clapped out.) It just looked a bit primitive having five or six mobile-mixers on a barge that was working on a fairly choppy sea.
Two very large piledriving barges are definitely on station on both shorelines of the NEW Penang Bridge 2 (http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?t=3066) construction site.
Georgetown has become very badly congested. In part due to various underground cabling and drainage projects. The driving has become extremely aggressive between traffic jams. Aggressive in ways different from Thailand! Perhaps ever so slightly related to recent racial tensions and the common perception that the city is awash with bagsnatchers and roadragers. The city looks like it is badly in need of the outer ringroad project (PORR).
The whole city looks even more tatty than it used to look. I get the impression that the Federal Government has gone through a few years of neglecting the city because of its less than entirely Malay population. (Shades of Thaksin's surly mistreatment of non-believers!) But it now looks like the feds have decided that its time to start a few projects as a sop to the electorate before the upcoming election.
Overall, the idea that Penang is suited to monorail (http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?t=3102) seems pretty sensible to the layman. But what of the plan to build a subway tunnel under the straits in the vicinity of the ferry route? From what I hear, it looks like greater priority is being given to making the ferries more suitable for foot & motorcycle transport from the new Sentral transport hub on the mainland. The plan for Sentral is to leave a vacant bay for later monorail inclusion, but I imagine this is envisaged for a mainland monorail rather than one crossing over from the island.
The RapidPenang buses (http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?t=3142) look pretty neat, but are not exactly heaving with passengers. Despite Penang's extensive tram, bus & trolley bus public transport in network in the past, it looks like most Penangites will be very reluctant to give up their Wiras, Kancils & motorcycles. RapidPenang is complaining that other bus companies are straying into their allocated bays at Komtar Bus Station to poach their passengers. So the City Council has promised more inspectors at bus terminii and interchanges to prevent this from happening.
http://www.nst.com.my/Wednesday/Letters/2112648/insidepix1
[Photo: New Straits Times]
I didn't go into the new Prangin Plaza next door, but it is plainly obvious that the former showpiece Komtar has degenerated into a badly-maintained largely-empty slum mall in a very short number of years. Bangkok's older malls seemed to have fared better.
Nice museum, but precious little on transport history apart from old pictures of the aforementioned former public transport networks. I suppose that might change if & when the museum eventually moves to bigger premises on Jalan McAlister.
Penang to be fully wired
By : Lee Keng Fatt
GEORGE TOWN: Penang is on track to be a fully connected state following the roll-out of 34 Wi-Fi hotspots on the island and mainland.
Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said the Wi-Fi hotspots under the Penang and Kulim broadband project were up and running.
"This is just the first phase. We will complete the installation of all the 120 hotspots within the next three months."
Koh said six locations, namely Batu Ferringhi, Bayan Lepas, Bukit Mertajam, Batu Kawan, Kulim and Kepala Batas, had been chosen as a test-bed to be linked together under one common data centre to test out new guidelines for broadband deployment.
Unlike many current Wi-Fi hotspots which are either available for a fee or located at expensive outlets, the 120 hotspots will be situated in more accessible places including restaurants, coffee shops, food courts and hawker centres.
Incorporated as part of the Penang I-Land 2010 Master Plan, the project is designed to provide the infrastructure needed to make Penang a fully connected state by 2010.
Koh was speaking after flagging off 50 participating cars in the Penang Wi-Fi Treasure Hunt 2008 at the Esplanade here.
Organised by the Penang K-ICT Council in collaboration with the Energy, Water and Communications Ministry and the Malaysia Communications and Multimedia Commission, the inaugural Wi-Fi treasure hunt is the first state-wide event to use Wi-Fi technology to search for clues from the Internet.
The operators for the Wi-Fi hotspots are Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM), Optical Communications Engineering (Penang Fon), eB Technologies Sdn Bhd and Jaring Communications Sdn Bhd.
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Monday/National/2137660/Article/index_html
The Star: 29th. November 2004
PENANG: Equine Capital Bhd’s master plan to redevelop the Penang Turf Club site in Batu Gantung will be unveiled next March, according to its group executive chairman Datuk Patrick Lim Soo Kit.
Lim said the group was proposing a mixed development project comprising residential, commercial, and public amenities on the 256-acre Penang Turf Club site.
.....
DEVELOPMENT-MALAYSIA: Civil Society Stalls Eight Billion Dollar Project
By Anil Netto
http://ipsnews.net/fotos/penang3.jpg
[Photo: IPS - Model of the 8-billion-dollar mega-project stalled by civil society groups.(Credit:Penang Heritage Trust)]
PENANG, Jan 25 (IPS) - Civil society groups here are mulling their next move after having stalled a massive, private project to build close to 40 high-rise towers on a precious green lung on this land-scarce Malaysian island.
An intense campaign in the preceding months finally forced the Penang state government to announce last week it was effectively stalling the 25 billion ringgit (eight billion US dollar) project.
The blueprint for the Penang Global City Centre (PGCC) project, to be sited on land presently used as a racecourse operated by the Penang Turf Club, was launched last September with much fanfare by Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi.
It was to have been developed by the private firm Abad Naluri, one of whose directors is Patrick Lim. Lim has been referred to as "Patrick Badawi" by former premier Mahathir Mohamad because of the businessman's perceived closed ties with Abdullah.
The government had regarded the PGCC as a "high-impact" project under the Northern Corridor Economic Region, one of several initiatives to spur economic growth in the various regions of the country.
Newspapers carried images of the PGCC model, which featured "iconic" twin towers that its developer said would become a new landmark for Penang. Promoters touted the "zero carbon" features of the project and hoped to see a deluge of interested buyers and financiers, including those from abroad.
But the project quickly ran into controversy when concerned Penang residents and activists discovered there would be more than just two high-rise towers. Architectural plans submitted for approval showed close to 40 high-rise towers.
Activists from a string of the prominent civil society groups, calling themselves the PGCC Campaign Groups, launched a campaign against what they saw as deception. But they were countered by the developer, which put up a slick public relations campaign, highlighting the project's supposedly ''zero-carbon'' goal.
For their part, the PGCC Campaign Group successfully mobilised the public to write petitions, display anti-PGCC car stickers, wear campaign T-shirts, and write post cards to the Penang Chief Minister Koh Tsu Koon.
It also helped that a whiff of a general election is now in the air, with polls widely expected to be held in March. Penang is expected to see a closely fought battle -- for seats in the federal parliament and the state assembly -- between the ruling coalition led by Badawi and an opposition front helmed by former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim. Both Abdullah and Anwar are from Penang.
The government suspended elections to town councils in the 1960s; since then, town councillors have been appointed by the ruling parties in each state. Critics say the absence of local democracy accounts for the lack of accountability and responsiveness to the public at the local level.
In the end, it took 2,500 postcards, emails and letters and a concerted civil society campaign to convince Penang Chief Minister Koh Tsu Koon that it would be politically costly for the ruling coalition to allow the project to proceed.
The groundswell prompted Koh to announce last week that he had issued a directive to the Penang Island Municipal Council to return the application to the developer so that the plans could be revised. ''This is to enable them to address the concerns raised from the feedback we have received,'' he said.
Koh said the project density had to be reduced and the developer also had to comply with a 30 per cent quota for affordable housing. The developer had planned to build almost 7,000 luxury homes and develop 1.3 million square feet of commercial space on site as well as construct some affordable housing - but only in a highly congested low-income neighbouring site.
Abad Naluri had acquired the 104-hectare horse race-course land on Penang Island at 43 ringgit per square foot in 2002. Its purchase from the Penang Turf Club would be partially paid in kind by building a new race-course in Batu Kawan on mainland Penang.
Also in 2002, the state government initiated a move to rezone the land from recreational use to mixed development. The eventual conversion resulted in the property value soaring five to six times, landing the developer an unrealised revaluation profit of a couple of billion ringgit -- even before the first bulldozer could rumble in.
Critics said that profit could have gone to the state had it acquired the property for itself before rezoning the land. Others argued that the Turf Club site should be preserved as an open green space as a legacy for future residents of Penang while alternative 'brownfield' sites could be found for the developer.
Activists say the process of revising and resubmitting the plans for approval could take at least a year.
Lim, who is also executive chairman of Equine Capital, which has a 25 per cent stake in Abad Naluri, is determined to press ahead while complying with local government requirements. "There are good international solutions for the issues raised so far, and we will embark on them shortly," he was reported as saying, adding that he welcomed public views. "We always align ourselves with the best thinkers in the world, so one can expect good solutions to arise."
For their part, the campaigners opposing the project are not letting down their guard.
''Let us not be naïve, the announcement by the Chief Minister on the PGCC and Patrick Lim’s response is all an election gimmick!'' warned one heritage conservationist. ''After the elections (if the ruling coalition wins), then it will be back to (all those) towers. I have seen this happen over and over again, so don’t get taken up by all these announcements.''
The stalling of the project is only a small but significant tactical victory, admits Ahmad Chik, one of the coordinators of the PGCC Campaign Group. ''But the fight continues: I fully expect Patrick Lim to come back with another proposal that may be even more difficult to beat, seeing that it will be after the election, the biggest factor in our favour this round.''
All the same, there was an important lesson for the public. ''This victory will, I hope, show to the doubters and fence-sitters that we can make a difference, if we speak out together with a loud voice,'' he added. ''Perhaps with a supportive, empowered and emboldened public a tough fight will be less difficult.''
With the stalling of the project, activists are reassessing their strategy. Will they accept a scaled-down 'green' version of the building project or insist that the site be preserved as a public green on land-scarce Penang Island?
For now though, the Campaign Group is insisting on a local plan not only for the Penang Turf Club site and surrounding areas but also for Batu Kawan, where the new racecourse is to be built. These local plans, they say, should be prepared transparently and with full public participation.
And once these local plans are approved, the Group wants the government to insist on detailed independent Environmental Impact Assessments and traffic studies -- undertaken by competent and independent consultants -- before approving any major projects.
http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=40919
I was under the impression this expressway was already open. I'm no Penang expert, but it strikes me that this route should have been built decades ago, when Penang Bridge first opened:
Jelutong Expressway opens today
GEORGE TOWN: Motorists will be able to drive from Bayan Lepas to Pengkalan Weld via the Jelutong Expressway starting today.
The new road will be opened by Housing and Local Government Committee chai-rman Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan at 3pm.
The construction of the new road, however, had about 2,000 residents of Gat Lebuh Nordin flats fuming. They claimed they had to make a 2km detour to enter their flats.
Pengkalan Kota assemblyman Lee Hack Teik urged the authorities to provide an alternative entrance.
Lee also appealed to the Penang Island Municipal Council to provide ample parking spaces for those staying in Jalan C.Y. Choy, Gat Jalan Dr Lim Chwee Leong and Pengkalan Weld areas.
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Tuesday/National/2150643/Article/index_html
3 Penang projects to finish on schedule
GEORGE TOWN: Technical problems involving the three main infrastructure projects in Penang have been ironed out with completion dates remaining unchanged.
Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop said the Second Penang Bridge (http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?t=3066), Penang Outer Ring Road (http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showpost.php?p=18361&postcount=6) (PORR) and the monorail projects (http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?t=3144) were ready to start.
“Work on the second bridge has resumed and is on schedule. As for PORR, we are looking at the final documents before calling for tenders.
“It is also the same for the monorail project (http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?t=3144),” he said, adding that the government needed to make sure everything was in order before starting work on the projects.
Nor Mohamed said groundwork for the PORR and monorail projects was expected to begin by the end of the year.
To a question on whether the government was facing financial problems in carrying out the projects, he said: “That is not the case. The money for these projects is there,” he said after visiting the St Nicholas’ Home here yesterday.
The Second Penang Bridge will link Batu Kawan in Seberang Perai to Batu Maung on the island. Construction began this year and will be completed by 2011.
The PORR project involves the construction of a 17km dual-lane highway between Tanjung Bungah and the Penang Bridge.
The monorail project will link the main tourist areas on the island to the city centre and its vicinity.
Meanwhile, Nor Mohamed said disabled and senior citizens would only need to show cards issued by the Welfare Department to enjoy concession rates on RapidPenang and RapidKL buses.
He said the move was to cut red tape.
Previously, they had to apply for concession cards from the companies.
On the strike by RapidPenang (http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?t=3142) and RapidKL (http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?t=3102) bus drivers, he said the issue had been resolved with bus services back to normal.
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Sunday/National/20080210081543/Article/index_html
Upgrade enhances Penang airport's gateway role
By Marina Emmanuel
Published: 2008/02/16
MALAYSIA Airports Holdings Bhd's (MAHB) RM70 million investment over 2007 and 2008 to upgrade the Penang International Airport is set to enhance the role of the northern gateway for trade, investment and tourism.
MAHB managing director Datuk Seri Bashir Ahmad said the importance of Penang as a growth centre in the north, would see continous investments committed by the airport operator as and when the need arises.
"With the opening of an additional 31 check-in counters on Monday from 31 now, the airport will be able to handle 2,900 passengers per hour.
"This compares with the 2,000 passengers per hour the airport is currently handling," he said at a signing ceremony for an integrated network and terminal application at the Penang airport, which was witnessed by Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy, yesterday.
MAHB and Sita Inc signed an agreement for the Penang airport to be equipped with the "Airport Connect Open" common use passenger processing system.
Sita is a global service provider of integrated information technology business solutions and communication services for the air transport industry.
Asked whether Penang will get a low-cost carrier terminal (LCCT), Chan said now that the airport has doubled its number of check-in counters and MAHB has invested substantially in the airport's baggage system, runway, apron and taxiway, there is no need for such a terminal.
The Penang state government had earmarked a 36ha site adjoining the Penang airport for an LCCT.
http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/Saturday/Nation/mab15.xml/Article/
Penang Umno to recommend stopping all state mega projects
By : Audrey Dermawan
GEORGE TOWN, Thurs:
Penang Umno will recommend to the Federal Government to stop all proposed mega projects in the state, include those planned under the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER), the second Penang Bridge, the light monorail transit system, the Penang Outer Ring Road, the Penang Sentral and the RapidPenang bus service.
State Umno secretary Datuk Azhar Ibrahim said the previous Gerakan-led state government had worked together with the federal government to bring all sorts of development to Penang.
"Since the people have clearly rejected development and made their choice for a change, we will recommend to the federal government to cancel all such projects. Don’t blame us for this," he said after a state liaison committee meeting here today. In March 8 polls, Umno only won two parliamentary seats and 12 state seats.
The meeting was chaired by the deputy state Umno liaison committee chairman Datuk Seri Abdul Rashid Abdullah. Also present were Umno division chiefs from all 13 divisions.
Asked if this was Umno’s revenge, Azhar, who was appointed opposition chief, said: "This is not revenge…it is the new government's responsibility to bring development to the state. We have done so many things in the past but we were criticised…we were blamed for wasting this and wasting that.”
To another question if this would bring about any implications to the people, he said: "The people have chosen and they wanted a new leadership."
What a jerk! :( They talk about 'UMNO Youth', but I have had the impression for years that the mentality of their older members rarely progresses beyond the juvenile.
No signs of delay in mega projects
Published: 2008/03/14
NEW Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng does not expect any delays in the implementation of approved mega projects in the state that come under the purview of the federal government.
Projects such as the Second Penang Bridge, the monorail project and Penang Outer Ring Road are commitments made to the people by the federal government and he did not anticipate any hitches.
"We also hope that the government will accede to the wishes of the people to fund the Second Penang Bridge project using Petronas funds," he said during a media briefing at his office in Komtar here.
[Mod: This part of the report contains the same info as the first article.]
Later, Penang Port Sdn Bhd managing director Datuk Ahmad Hajar said he also planned to talk to the federal government about the ferry service.
"I don't see any reason why the company should bear further losses from the ferry service. Our losses are about RM14 million a year," he said.
"I am giving the federal government three options to stop the ferry service, to allow a fare increase or to hand over the running of the service to the new state government."
[Mod: This part of the report contains oft-repeated info about the 2nd Bridge Project.]
http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/Friday/Nation/20080314022729/Article/index_html
UMNO report in today's previous post.
March 14, 2008 15:41 PM
North Butterworth Container Terminal's Phase 3 Expansion On Schedule
PENANG, March 14 (Bernama) -- The North Butterworth Container Terminal (NBCT)'s phase three expansion is on schedule to be completed in 2011, Penang Port Sdn Bhd's chief operation officer Mohd Naina Merican said today.
The third phase expansion includes a new 600-metre wharves extension, construction of a new stacking area, a new back stacking area, barging centre, container terminal and dredging of the 11.5-metre approach channel depth, North Channel, to 13.5 metres to serve mother vessels calling at the port.
On the container terminal, Mohd Naina said the land reclamation work for the plan was completed.
"The design is ready as well. Currently, it (the container terminal) is in the tendering process," he said in a telephone interview from Jakarta.
Cost of the NBCT phase three construction is expected to be RM672 million. With the new development projects, productivity at the port will also be revised with a new target of crane productivity at more than 30 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) moves per hour.
Mohd Naina said Penang Port will also invest RM250 million in equipment, including seven super post Panamax cranes and rail-mounted cranes.
-- BERNAMA
Non-specific link:
http://www.bernama.com.my/
What a jerk! :( They talk about 'UMNO Youth', but I have had the impression for years that the mentality of their older members rarely progresses beyond the juvenile.
http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/Friday/Nation/20080314022729/Article/index_html
Lim lambasts Umno's call to scrap Penang mega projects
By : Sharanjit Singh and Audrey Dermawan
GEORGE TOWN, Fri:
The DAP-PKR coalition Penang Government has lambasted Umno's call for the federal government to stop all mega projects in the state.
Chief minister Lim Guan Eng said Umno's stand smacked of resentment and ill-intent. "Their stand also reflects how the party is grappling to come to terms with the decision that the people have made. Instead of respecting the outcome of a democratic process they are now sulking and venting their frustration at the people," he said.
However, Lim expressed confidence that prime minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi would not give in to the “ridiculous” demands.
Abdullah, he said, had always said he was a prime minister of all Malaysians and would not discriminate against anyone. "This is more so as it involves his own home state. I am sure he would do what is right for Penang," he said after meeting a group of 21 Muslim NGOs here today.
Lim was reacting to Penang Umno's stand that they would press the prime minister to stop the implementation of all mega projects, including those planned under the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER), the Penang Sentral project, Second Penang Bridge, Penang Outer Ring Road and Light Monorail Transit System.
State Umno secretary Datuk Azhar Ibrahim had said that since the people have rejected the BN government and opted for change, the federal government should just cancel all projects in Penang.
On the meeting with the NGOs, Lim said he had given the assurance that his administration would not alienate any community, acknowledging the rumours that the State Government was “going to do this and that.”
The NGO's which attended the hour-long meeting at Lim's office in Komtar included Abim, Jemaah Islah Malaysia (JIM) and Teras Pengupayaan Melayu (Teras).
Teras president Azmi Abdul Hamid said the NGO's were happy with the outcome of the meeting. "We are glad to have received the assurance that the interests of the Malays in Penang will not be neglected. The Malays in Penang have been overlooked for far too long, including during the previous state government and we hope all this will change," he said.
JIM adviser Dr Danial Zainal Abidin said the meeting also touched on the New Economic Policy (NEP) and the state government's stand on it.
"We agree with the explanation given by the chief minister that the state government is only going to end abuses under the NEP and not abolish it as reported," he said.
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Friday/NewsBreak/20080314142720/Article/index_html
Progress on Penang 2 Bridge:
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?p=20595#post20595
Putting Komtar together again
By K. KASTURI DEVI AND ANDREA FILMER
Once described as the pride of every Penangite, Kompleks Tun Abdul Razak (Komtar) is now the sharpest thorn in their hearts. But the building may regain its lustre with a fresh boost from the State Government.
AT 65 storeys high, Komtar Tower is the tallest building on the island, and serves as a famous landmark. It was once a major shopping centre and the sixth tallest building in the country.
The tower, together with the four-storey podium, was built in 1974 and completed in 1986 at a cost of RM207mil. The podium used to house anchor tenants like Super Komtar, Yaohan that became Aktif Lifestyle, and later Parkson Aktif, making the place the state's most exciting shopping centre in the 80s and 90s.
http://thestar.com.my/archives/2008/5/4/focus/n_pg26komtar.jpg
[All Photos: The Star]
Today, however, it is a completely different story, with visitors to the podium area finding the place to be creepy, dark and even unsafe.
Almost 40% of the traders there have left especially after the anchor tenants “closed shop”. More are planning to leave if the State fails to revive the place.
It is learnt that the value of the shop lots on the first and second floors have dropped by at least 40% and about 10% to 20% for the ground and third floors.
The drop in value was attributed to poor maintenance, lack of facilities and the mushrooming of new shopping complexes such as Prangin Mall and Gurney Plaza.
The Penang Times Square project nearby at Jalan Datuk Keramat is also expected to pose a threat to the already “ailing” Komtar once it is completed and operational.
The Square is an iconic RM1bil integrated development and is a self-contained urban village covering 5.2ha.
However, things might change for the better as the State Government, through its development arm Penang Development Corporation (PDC), has pumped in RM10mil for the clean-up job at Komtar.
PDC had explained that Komtar needed the facelift to compete with the newer shopping complexes to remain competitive.
Datuk Seri Lim Chong Keat, one of the original architects of Komtar, believes that it is still not too late to turn the complex around.
“What Komtar requires now is to be constantly improved and refurbished with good management to promote it as an urban centre,” he said in an interview.
Lim was hugely involved in the “birth” of Komtar and was one of the consultant architects and planners from Architects Team 3 (Jurubena Bertiga International), which had been appointed to work with officers from the then City Council of George Town and the State Government on the proposal for an urban centre on the island.
The proposal made in 1962 was to develop the area around Prangin Road/ Maxwell Road/ Magazine Road into a hawkers' complex and civic centre.
However, the idea did not get off the ground immediately and was reviewed in 1969.
Lim said a new team called the Central Area Planning Unit (CAPU) was formed, and it was in 1973 that the State Government entrusted the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) to implement the multi-million Ringgit project.
Extensive planning studies were conducted in 1971 and the decision to proceed with the Urban Centre was made with the objective, of among others, to revitalise the commercial trading sector and optimise use of land in the city centre.
Thus was Komtar born, and named after the second Prime Minister, the late Tun Abdul Razak Hussein.
The project was supposed to be progressively built in five different phases, with Phase One comprising the tower block and podium.
The complex incorporated a wide variety of services and modern facilities for shops, offices, and civic and recreational activities.
An observatory on Level 58 was included in the plan as well as a multi-purpose centre known as Geodesic Dome, a post office, a cinema with 1,001 seating capacity and even a landscaped roof garden.
Tun Abdul Razak himself launched the start of piling work on Phase One of the project on Jan 1, 1974 and part of the complex's podium block was completed in 1978.
When the skyscraper topped out, it was then the tallest building in Asia.
Today, more than 30 years later, only two and a half phases have been completed.
And the question that remains unanswered until now is, whatever happened to the rest of the project?
The Consumer Protection Association of Penang president K. Koris said the uncompleted pockets of proposed development under the Komtar master plan have created “an urban slum” in the inner city of George Town.
“The pockets of proposed development under the remaining phases have been left idle and have become an eyesore,” he said.
Former Chief Minister Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu's Komtar masterplan was meant to prevent the inner city from becoming an urban slum, he said.
“But this is what the whole area has become today,” he said, adding that it would be useless for the state to inject RM10mil to transform Komtar into an attractive shopping mall if the surrounding areas were left neglected.
To date, only Phases 1, 2A and 4 of the masterplan, comprising the tower, the Geodesic Dome, four-storey podium, a hotel, bus interchange and the Prangin Mall, have been completed.
Plots of land under Phases 2B and 3 were sold off to Metrojaya Bhd and Postmix Sdn Bhd respectively and Phase 5 was revised in 2002, with the new plan featuring a centralised transportation hub.
A PDC spokesman said that plans for the transportation hub were put on hold as the state has yet to finalise the routes for the proposed LRT project.
“We cannot finalise the plans for Phase 5 now because it is dependent on the LRT routes that the state has yet to finalise it,” the spokesman said.
The spokesman also said PDC was in the process of resettling 41 families who are currently living in some of the pre-war houses sitting on the area marked for Phase 5 development.
“We have offered accommodation to these families but some of them refused the offer. . We are looking into solving such issues.
“We also have plans to clear the land and turn it into a temporary parking space,” he said.
As for the vacant pre-war houses, which are an eyesore and have become a haven for drug addicts, the spokesman said some of the buildings have already been torn down.
On Komtar's revival, the spokesman said several departmental stores have expressed interest in the space previously occupied by anchor tenant Super Komtar.
“A college was also interested in turning the space into a hostel for its students. However, nothing positive was achieved from those discussions,” he said.
A check by The Star on the plot of land marked for development under Phase 3 saw some piling works being carried out on the area which has been boarded up.
An 11-storey shopping complex would be coming up on the plot, and it is expected to be completed between 2009 and 2010.
A signboard put up on the land indicated that the developer is Lion Parade Mutiara Sdn Bhd, formerly known as Postmix Sdn Bhd.
With the new complex, those involved in the Komtar project can cling on to the hope that the complex, once the pride of Penang, can regain its image and inject progress to the “ailing” inner city of George Town.
Related Story on the current sentiments of the remaining tennants of Komtar:
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/5/4/focus/19760140&sec=focus
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/5/4/focus/19622019&sec=focus
Komtar Timeline
1962-1963
Idea mooted for urban renewal programme Kompleks Tun Abdul Razak.
City Council of George Town appointed the Malayan Architects Co-partnership to study proposal for construction of a civic centre around the Prangin Road, Maxwell Road and Magazine Road area.
1969 – 1970
City Council of George Town reviewed proposal.
July 1971
The Central Area Planning Unit (CAPU) was formed incorporating City Council and State Government members with consultant architects and planners firm Architects Team 3 appointed as project consultants.
1973
Penang State Government entrusts project to its principal development agency Penang Development Corporation.
January 1, 1974
First piling ceremony officiated by second Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein.
Work commenced on Phase 1A
1975
Work commenced on Phase 1B
December 1976
Phase 1A incorporating 107 units of net commercial area opened for business.
January 1, 1977
Official opening of Phase 1 by Yang di-Pertua Negri Tun Sardon Jubir.
April 1981
200 units with a net rentable space of 20,496 sq metres opened for business.
January 1983
Work commenced on Phase 2.
Fire broke out at the 43rd floor of the Komtar tower and destroyed the floors above it.
July 1983
Low Zone of tower block completed.
September 1983
Work began on Phase 1C1 and 1C2.
November 1983
State Government moved into new offices in Low Zone of tower block.
1984
Piling work began on Phase 2B and 2D.
June 1984
Mid Zone of tower block completed.
July 1984
Piling work began on Phase 1E.
October 1984
Work commenced on Phase 2C.
1986
Phase 2A incorporating a multi-storey car park completed.
1989
Penang's oldest shopping mall – Komtar Complex – was opened.
2000
Prangin Mall incorporated into Phase 4 completed.
2002
Plan for Phase 5 revised.
Plots of land under Phases 2B and 3 sold off to Metrojaya Bhd and Postmix Sdn Bhd.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/5/4/focus/19812163&sec=focus
See also today's previous post on the decaying Komtar Center that was once Penang's pride & joy.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/5/4/focus/19622019&sec=focus
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/5/4/focus/19812163&sec=focus
Sunday May 4, 2008
Penang to scrap ‘Mini Putrajaya’ project
PENANG: The new state government will scrap the proposed centralised state government administration centre nicknamed “Mini Putrajaya”, which was mooted by the Barisan Nasional government in 2001.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the state would not pursue any project that was “too expensive”.
“We are not going to go on the heavy expenditure projects,” he said in an interview.
Lim, however, said the state had other plans for the 20ha reclaimed land north of the Bayan Bay project near the Penang Bridge on the island.
“We have other plans to bring development to that area, which would benefit the state and people. The plans would be announced at the right time,” he said.
Former Penang chief minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon had announced the RM30mil mini Putrajaya project in 2001 as the new government’s administration centre.
He had said the site on the reclaimed land belonging to the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) was chosen because its location was more central to the state’s population distribution.
The project, known as Bayan Mutiara, was expected to house the offices of the Chief Minister, his deputy, state exco members, state assemblymen, state secretary and state financial officer as well as the new state assembly hall and Speaker’s office.
Dr Koh had also said that once the government administration offices were relocated, there were plans to turn the 65-storey Komtar tower into a hotel or commercial centre.
The state government then had also announced plans of converting the state assembly building in Light Street into an art gallery.
However, the Bayan Mutiara project drew flak from ratepayers and public interest groups who felt that it was a waste of taxpayers’ money.
In May 2003, Dr Koh said the project would be deferred indefinitely due to economic slowdown.
In an interview early this month, Lim said there was a need to “rejuvenate” Komtar, which was opened to the public in 1974, in view of its strategic position as the “heart” of the state government.
Komtar assemblyman Ng Wei Aik in a recent interview carried in the StarMetro North said that the Komtar restructuring committee would work on a new “Komtar concept”, which may include ideas of transforming Komtar into a digital or IT centre.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/5/4/nation/21002784&sec=nation
Somewhat ironic that one minute Lim Guan Eng talks about it being possible for the ferry to make a profit, and the next minute talks about a monorail link to the mainland. That said, there is no guarantee that the current widening of Penang Bridge will do much to relieve traffic congestion. The second bridge will also be delayed. Both bridges are remote from current transport hubs in Georgetown and Butterworth, whereas the ferry is a fairly direct link. And a monorail link is likely to be many years in the materialisation, since it is not an integral part of the current (and already contentious) monorail plan. And note that he actually said that the monorail link would be over the 2nd Bridge, and not in a cross-straits tunnel as previously proposed. Such a bridge link would involve a very indirect route for many travellers. So maybe the CM has a point. And if the ferry manages to survive the next few years, it could perhaps eventually morph itself into more of a tourist attraction - since a ferry trip across the straits is an interesting experience IMO:
2008/05/05
Guan Eng: Ferry service can be profitable
BUTTERWORTH: The ferry service could be run profitably, but to do that Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB) would need a management shake-up.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the state government was confident there was a profit to be made from the service.
"We do not know why the management is operating at a loss," he said after handing over RM35,000 in aid to 153 families from several villages in Tasek Gelugor whose homes were damaged by a freak storm last month.
PPSB had recently proposed scrapping the ferry service, claiming it could no longer sustain the heavy losses which ran into millions of ringgit.
Lim also said the state government planned to ask the Federal Government to build a monorail link to the mainland as part of the second Penang bridge.
..........
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Monday/National/2231730/Article/index_html
The Star: 29th. November 2004
PENANG: Equine Capital Bhd’s master plan to redevelop the Penang Turf Club site in Batu Gantung will be unveiled next March, according to its group executive chairman Datuk Patrick Lim Soo Kit.
Lim said the group was proposing a mixed development project comprising residential, commercial, and public amenities on the 256-acre Penang Turf Club site.
..........
For the 'Surf' bit see the previous post.
Friday May 9, 2008
Businessman alleges irregularities in sale of Penang Turf Club land
By BERNARD SEE and ALEX TENG
PENANG: A prominent local businessman has lodged a police report against the Penang Turf Club (PTC) committee over alleged irregularities in the sale of the club’s 105ha plot of prime land in Batu Gantong here.
Tan Sri Tan Kok Ping, a PTC ordinary member, turned up at the state Commercial Crimes Department at the police contingent headquarters in Penang Road with his lawyer at 11am yesterday.
He is questioning why the land, where the 144-year-old turf club is located, was sold for only RM488mil when the actual value was more than double the amount.
Tan also wanted to know why the committee had failed to get the approval of the club’s trustees before signing the sale agreement in 2002 with developer Abad Naluri Sdn Bhd.
Tan, who made the report on behalf of other PTC members, declined to comment on the matter.
Acting state police chief Senior Asst Comm I Salleh Mat Rasid confirmed that a report had been lodged.
It is learnt that police will soon call up the PTC committee members to give a statement on the matter. They will also ask to look into the terms of the sale agreement.
PTC assistant general manager and secretary Leow Khin Ming said it was still too premature to make any comment.
“We do not have any knowledge of the police report that was lodged against us. No one has contacted us about it till now,” he said.
The developer was supposed to deliver a replacement racecourse in Batu Kawan this year as part of the agreement but has yet to do so.
The completion of the new racecourse has been extended to 2011.
The plot of land in Batu Gantong has been earmarked for the Penang Global City Centre (PGCC), a project under the Northern Corridor Economic Region. It was launched last year.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/5/9/nation/21195508&sec=nation
I seem to have missed this particular piece of political skulduggery by the Malaysian government. The Bernama website has been out of action for a few days:
http://thestar.com.my/archives/2008/6/27/north/hill.jpg
[Photo: The Star - Derailed:A woman walking past a hoarding featuring an artist's impression of the monorail project in front of a construction site in George Town yesterday. The Federal Government has put the project on hold.]
June 26, 2008 19:14 PM
No Discrimination Against Penang, Says Amirsham
KUALA LUMPUR, June 26 (Bernama) -- The decision to postpone Penang's two mega projects in the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) does not mean the federal government is discriminating against the state by not allowing it to enjoy mega project development, says Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Senator Tan Sri Amirsham A. Aziz.
They are the Penang Outer Ring Road and the monorail.
"We are not looking at the moment (at the projects) because there are certain constraints. Some of the projects may be reviewed again, maybe in the 10MP," he told reporters at Dewan Rakyat lobby after the tabling of the 9MP (2006-2010) mid-term review by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi here Thursday.
He said the government would continue with projects that would benefit the people and drive economic growth.
"No discrimination as far as we are concerned. We go on the basis that the projects are people-centric and drive the economic growth," he said.
On the fiscal deficit in the 9MP, Amirsham said: "As the prime minister has mentioned, we want to maintain it. In fact, we even want to reduce it to 3.1 percent."
He said the country would be able to achieve the fiscal deficit target in the 9MP even though there was an additional allocation in the plan.
Amirsham said Abdullah would announce the fiscal deficit target in August during the tabling of the 2009 Budget.
Earlier, Abdullah said the government reduced the fiscal deficit from 3.6 percent of gross domestic product in 2005 to 3.2 percent in 2007 through prudent management of the budget.
-- BERNAMA
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?t=2661
Friday June 27, 2008
State looks for alternatives
GEORGE TOWN:Penang will look for ways to solve traffic congestion problems on the island on its own now that the monorail and Penang Outer Ring Road projects have been deferred.
Lim said the state government, which could not afford to implement such mega projects as they involved high capital and operational expenditure, would look for other sources.
“Without help from the Federal Government, the state will have to look for its own solutions,” said Lim, who was visibly upset upon learning that the two federal projects had been taken off the 9th Malaysia Plan.
Lim added that the state government was willing to facilitate the acquisition of state land for the monorail project as it would smoothen traffic flow on the island.
“We are also willing to meet with the Federal Government to discuss adjustments for its monorail plans.
“We have seen the plan. There are concerns that heritage buildings and the environment will be affected by the project,” he told newsmen after the annual general meeting of PBA Holdings Bhd.
Reaction from Penang Barisan Nasional leaders was mixed.
State Opposition leader and state Umno secretary Datuk Azhar Ibra-him described the move to defer both projects as a “wise and right decision.”
State Gerakan secretary Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan, however, said a delay would hamper the federal initiative to develop Penang as the logistic hub for the Northern Corridor Economic Region.
“Gerakan is appealing to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop, who are both Penangites, to review the decision.
“Both projects are vital for future economic growth,” said Dr Teng.
State MCA deputy chairman Lau Chiek Tuan called on the state government to source for funding of the projects if the Federal Government could not afford to support the projects.
“PORR is long overdue. The outer ring road and monorail projects must be implemented for better traffic management,” he said, adding that it was part of the government’s social responsibility.
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2008/6/27/north/21673972&sec=North
See also this thread of info on the also postponed Monorail Project:
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2008/6/27/north/21673972&sec=North
Could this be an opportunity for the 'Penangites for Trams' Campaign?:
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?t=3268
I seem to have missed this particular piece of political skulduggery by the Malaysian government. The Bernama website has been out of action for a few days:
http://thestar.com.my/archives/2008/6/27/north/hill.jpg
[Photo: The Star - Derailed:A woman walking past a hoarding featuring an artist's impression of the monorail project in front of a construction site in George Town yesterday. The Federal Government has put the project on hold.]
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2008/6/27/north/21673972&sec=North
See also this thread of info on the also postponed Monorail Project:
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2008/6/27/north/21673972&sec=North
Could this be an opportunity for the 'Penangites for Trams' Campaign?:
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?t=3268
June 29, 2008 20:29 PM
Penang Monorail, Highway Projects Not Under 9MP - Nor Mohamed
BUTTERWORTH, June 29 (Bernama) -- The government will not implement the Penang Outer Ring Road (PORR) and monorail projects under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP), Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop said Sunday.
The move to shelve the projects was to give priority to the implementation programmes which could help the people following the increase in the world prices of food and oil, he said.
"The PORR and monorail projects are not a priority at this point of time. The mega projects costing over RM1 billion will not be implemented in the near term," he told reporters after giving away awards to top Indian students in Penang here.
He was commenting on the Penang government's request to the federal government not to postpone the projects. The federal government had decided to shelve both projects in the 9MP Mid-Term Review.
Nor Mohamed said the implementation of all projects was based on the government's affordability and the needs of people. On a complaint by Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng that the state government was not consulted when the federal government decided to postpone the PORR and monorail projects, he said there was no need to consult the state government because both were federal projects.
The government was still committed to ensuring Penang residents enjoy a comfortable transport system, he said.
"We will add Rapid Penang bus services from 150 buses to 250 buses to give comfort to the residents here," he said.
He said the number of buses would be increased from time to time to ensure all the residents including those in rural areas enjoy public transport facilities.
-- BERNAMA
Non-specific link:
http://www.bernama.com.my/
Thread on RapidPenang Buses:
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?t=3142
Posts in this thread on Penang Outer Ring Road Project:
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showpost.php?p=18361&postcount=6
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showpost.php?p=2089&postcount=2
http://img74.exs.cx/img74/1237/f6-PORR.jpg
2008/07/19
Penang may take projects private
GEORGE TOWN: The state government may consider taking the Penang Outer Ring Road and monorail projects private if the Federal Government continues with its decision to defer both projects.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said he would get the relevant state agencies to furnish him with the necessary details before deciding on the matter.
He, however, said the state government's priority was to press the federal government to pursue both projects.
"We hope the federal government will keep its word ... after all, both projects were promised to us much earlier.
"If at all it fails to implement both projects, then we may seriously consider taking them private," he said after the executive committee members of the Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce called on him yesterday.
The proposed RM2 billion monorail and RM1.5 billion PORR projects have been deferred under the Mid-Term Review of the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP).
Lim was responding to a memorandum from PCCC on the matter.
PCCC president Tan Sri Tan Kok Ping, said the state government should take up the responsibility following the announcement by the federal government.
Tan said the state government could emulate the Jelutong Expressway scheme, an initiative between the state government and a private company. "After all, collaboration with the private sector will solve the shortage of capital."
On the monorail project, Tan said PCCC felt its construction was not necessary based on the state's existing population.
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Saturday/National/2297411/Article/index_html
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