GEORGE TOWN – Various civil society groups have come together to push ratepayers here to reject the proposed Penang Local Plan on grounds that no proper consultation was done and the development it permits would affect the island’s liveability.
Coming together in one voice were Penang Heritage Trust vice-chairman Khoo Salma Nasution, Penang Forum’s Lim Mah Hui, Consumers Association of Penang vice-chairman Fathima Mohd Idris, Penang Public Transport Users Association treasurer Zulfikar Abdul Aziz, and Parti Sosialis Malaysia spokesman Choo Chon Kai.
They told a joint press conference here that they are naying the proposed local plan, whose exhibition has been extended by another two weeks by the state government.
The plan was firstly delayed for over two decades, and it was only revealed by its advocator – the Penang Island City Council – just before the 15th general election in November.
After going through the plan, Lim said, the state did not reach out to civil society before drafting it, preferring to engage “outside” consultants who may be well versed about town planning but lack the refinements of “local understanding”.
He claimed that the standard guidelines to drafting the plan were ignored by the local authorities.
For example, they needed to engage all stakeholders, especially the ratepayers some four weeks before the plan was made public.
“That was not the case,” he said, accusing the authorities of trying to force the plan through.
Fathima, the daughter of late CAP leader S.M. Mohamed Idris, urged ratepayers here to understand that having a good local plan is even more important than holding an election.
“The plan, if designed well, is a yardstick to measure the quality of living in Penang. The present one falls short of expectations,” she said.
“It makes Penang unliveable, so we hope ratepayers will stand up for their rights and urge for a review of the local plan.”
She added that Penang will also visually change to instead showcase skyscrapers, which threaten the state’s moral fabric as the owner of a Unesco World Heritage Site.
Her remarks were echoed by Khoo, who said that the local plan protects the heritage enclave but allows the island to be filled with new high-rise buildings outside of the area.
This, she said, overshadows the heritage elements which exist outside of the heritage zone, and undermines the need for conservation and preservation of the place.
Choo said the proposed plan fails to meet the need for affordable housing, particularly in categories such as community housing, while the prices of affordable housing continue to be beyond the reach of B40 income earners.
The speakers urged the people to reject the plan and call on the state to make the plan comprehensive, and one that can elevate Penang’s status into an international liveable city. – The Vibes, January 4, 2023
