Bayu Ferringhi residents take developer to task over proposed high-rise hotel

GEORGE TOWN – Bayu Ferringhi residents are up in arms against their developer after it was alleged that the latter did not stick to their promise, instead seeking to construct a 20-storey hotel right in the middle of the neighbourhood.

About 40 homeowners and tenants attended a press conference in which their spokesmen Shelley Yates and Laurence Jones claimed that when they purchased their bungalows and condominiums in the neighbourhood, they were promised a scenic view and a low-density environment.

Instead, they are now staring at the prospect of a monstrous skyscraper right in the neighbourhood, which would block their access to picturesque views. 

It will also likely lower the property value there, they said.

Yates said that they were notified by the Penang Island City Council of the developer’s intention to construct the imposing hotel.

“We had a brief video conference call with the council and the Lord Mayor (Datuk Yew Tung Seang) on January 26, but the time granted to us was limited. Of course, we are protesting as we felt that we were misled by the developer.”

Yates urged the local authorities to scale back on the plan, as the Batu Ferringhi area, where Bayu Ferringhi is located, is supposed to be a green lung and a low-key tourism destination since its inception as the first tourism belt in the country in the 1970s.

Another resident, who has a condominium unit here, said that the high storey will cause an intolerable sense of crowding in Batu Ferringhi.

“I was informed that when the famous Rasa Sayang Resort was built in the 1970s, the local authorities wanted the structure to blend in with the state’s famed beaches, so the resort was less than 10 storeys high. We hope the same can be accorded here now.”

The resident, who preferred not to be named, said that the tourism belt should be left alone to guard against excess crowds.

“People invest to stay here because of its tranquil settings. The last thing they want is to have noise and crowds,” he added.

The Bayu Ferringhi neighbourhood here mostly consists of expatriates and retirees, who have come to regard their bungalows and condominiums as their ideal place of residence.

Both Yew and the developer could not be reached for comments as of now. – The Vibes, February 26, 2022