Sunday 22 November 2015

DAP questions PKR reps for not voting on BNmotion

BY SANGEETHA AMARTHALINGAM

Published: 21 November 2015 12:26 PM

DAP will leave it to PKR to deal with its 5 assemblymen who abstained from voting on a Barisan Nasional (BN) motion on land reclamation. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, November 21, 2015.

The move by five PKR assemblymen who abstained from voting on a motion on land reclamation by Barisan Nasional (BN) needs to be assessed by the party.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said he would leave the matter to PKR but the impression given was that the party stood with Umno, having decided not to vote in unison with DAP against the motion.

“Yes, the impression is that PKR is with Umno. We leave it to the party to carefully assess it. If I meet with (PKR president) Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah, I would definitely brief her about it,” said Lim, who is also DAP secretary-general.

Yesterday, Umno's Pulau Betong assemblyman Muhamad Farid Saad forwarded a motion that called for projects involving land reclamation to fund or be swapped in exchange for development of basic infrastructure, transport or others, to be subjected to a public hearing before a decision is made.

Farid also said all new plans for land reclamation projects should be put on hold until a detailed study on oceanic and environmental impact was done and projects detrimental to the environment should be cancelled.

The motion sparked a heated debate between Lim and Farid, which the former claimed was unnecessary as there were federal laws such as detailed environmental impact assessment (DEIAs) and the National Physical Plan Council that governed sea projects.

The motion was rejected with 23 against 10 ayes.

Five PKR backbenchers – Ong Chin Wen (Bukit Tengah), Cheah Kah Peng (Kebun Bunga), Lee Khai Loon (Machang Bubuk), Dr T. Jayabalan (Batu Uban) and Dr Norlela Ariffin (Penanti) – abstained.

However, among those who voted in favour of the motion was DAP’s Teh Yee Cheu, Tanjung Bungah assemblyman, who later communicated his mistake for supporting the motion, and apologised to the party.

Speaking to reporters after opening the International Forum on Human Rights Violations in Sri Lanka, Lim reiterated that the motion was a “slick and devious” move by BN to trap the government.

“We only approved 60 acres of reclamation but BN approved 3,241 acres of land during their tenure. Out of that, 774 acres have been reclaimed by companies including by E&O Bhd (Seri Tanjung Pinang 1) and Rayston Consortium (Butterworth) Sdn Bhd (Butterworth Outer Ring Road). Another 2,500 acres remain.

“They are the culprit and part of the problem. In wanting to promote themselves as the hero when they are the villains. He wants us to postpone projects that are already approved.

“If we do that, we have to pay compensation. That is why we (DAP) oppose the motion. We cannot accept that they (want to be) holier than thou when they approved the projects.

“You man up first and apologise for forcing it down our throats (then) before you put in the motion. We will never stand with Umno. It is a trap and you are stupid to fall for this,” he said. – November 21, 2015.

Can we trust Umno Penang on land reclamation? – Lim Guan Eng

Published: 22 November 2015 4:24 PM

Umno assemblyman for Pulau Betong Muhamad Farid Saad’s motion against land reclamation in the State Assembly on Friday shamelessly ignored the previous Penang Barisan Nasional (BN) government’s abysmal track record of parcelling out 3,241 acres of land reclamation in contrast to the 60 acres of land reclamation approved by the present state government.

Farid’s motion against land reclamation is absurd as it would include land reclamation approvals by the previous state government, which Farid as a member of the previous administration had fully supported it.

Farid’s motion had proposed that there should be public feedback on land reclamation, and all new reclamation projects be suspended until a complete detailed environmental impact assessment is conducted as well as any projects which brought negative effects to Penang should be cancelled.

Farid’s motion was superfluous because the requirements of public feedback and approval of detailed environmental impact assessment (DEIA) were already a legal necessity under federal law before any land reclamation can proceed.

Such is the case with the Tanjung Pinang reclamation project by E&O Bhd, which involved a DEIA, exhaustive public hearings and consultations conducted by the Department of Environment and also the Town & Country Planning Department, both which are federal government agencies.

In other words, Farid’s motion was superfluous and brought nothing new in terms of public hearings and consultations or even DEIA, as these were compliance issues already required by federal laws.

The real sticking point in Farid’s motion is that by postponing or suspending all new reclamation projects, exposes the state government to the risk of paying compensation running into hundreds of millions of ringgit.

Farid had refused to address his role as a member of the BN state government that had approved reclamation projects.

Some of the reclaimed land by BN were approved without open tenders at giveaway prices of RM1 per sq ft. Of the 3,241 acres of reclamation land approved by the previous BN state government, 744 acres had been reclaimed leaving 2,500 acres to be reclaimed.

Under the present laws of the sanctity of contract, the state government is bound by the land reclamation approvals of the previous BN state government.

Any postponement or suspension of the remaining 2,500 acres, especially on those that had already complied with Federal laws on DEIA and public hearings, will likely invite issues of compensation payments.

Compensation payments on such large tracts of reclaimed land involves hundreds of millions of ringgit if not more, and may ultimately bankrupt the state government.

To fully cover the state government from having to make compensation payments to suspend land reclamation approved by the previous state government, why is there no full indemnity of such payments by the federal government offered?

If Farid’s motion is passed, it would be patently absurd that the present state government would have to pay compensation to delay land reclamation approved by the BN state government. Any responsible government would not allow itself to be bankrupted in such a manner.

In other words, this motion would allow BN to play the hero in opposing land reclamation and also force the present state government to pay the price for stopping land reclamation approved by the previous state government.

Such a devious and slick tactic of playing both sides, is a win-win situation for BN. At once a hero politically for opposing land reclamation and yet at the same time, their crony companies also adequately compensated for any delays or suspension of land reclamation.

How can Umno be trusted on opposing land reclamation now when Farid refused to account or apologise for his support for land reclamation when BN was in power?

And yet there are some who are entrapped by Umno’s devious and slick tactic until they are willing to trust that “a leopard can change its spots” forgetting the axiom that “kingdoms may change but not so easily one’s basic character”.

First is DAP Tanjung Bunga assemblyman Teh Yee Cheu. Teh broke party ranks and stood with Umno by voting for the motion.

After an emergency meeting following the end of the Penang state Assembly involving all 19 DAP representatives, Teh said at a press conference that he realised he had made a mistake and apologised to the party. He promised to return to the party and was willing to accept any punishment meted out.

All Penang DAP representatives were deeply unhappy that a DAP assemblyman was willing to trust and stand together with Umno – a first in DAP’s history. Voting in support of Umno’s motion against his own party was unacceptable and warranted stern disciplinary action.

Following Teh’s public admission of committing a mistake and public apology, his matter will then be dealt with through DAP’s internal party mechanism.

The five PKR representatives, or PKR 5, who abstained from voting can not be dismissed as an act of a loner, but pre-planned and organised.

PKR whip Ong Chin Wen the assemblyman for Bukit Tengah told the press that the PKR 5 abstained in accordance to their conscience and that it “reflected the current political situation”.

Does this mean that their own four PKR representatives holding government posts, namely Penang deputy speaker Datuk Maktar Shapee, Deputy Chief Minister 1 Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon, Datuk Abdul Malik Abul Kassim and Afif Bahardin, who voted against Umno’s motion have no conscience?

What type of current political situation is he talking about when the Umno representatives had earlier opposed PKR’s motion to ask that imprisoned PKR leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, be given medical treatment of his choice as well as refused to answer to questions relating to the RM2.6 billion donation scandal?

Abstention by the PKR 5, as a BN daily emphasised, is as good as supporting Umno’s motion and an “act of mutiny from within”. Can the PKR 5 be counted upon as a reliable or dependable partner, ally or member of the Penang state government?

This is politically untenable as one can not run with the hares and yet hunt with the wolves. In this regard, we appreciate Datuk Salleh Man’s loyal support to the Pakatan Harapan Penang state government even though he remained a PAS member.

Equally disturbing is Ong’s claim that the five PKR representatives had decided to abstain and duly informed their party leadership. However he refused to say which PKR national leader he had informed.

Ong also admitted that the other four PKR representatives who supported the Penang state government by opposing Umno’s motion had no knowledge that the PKR 5 intended to abstain.

This is a clear sign of dissatisfaction by the PKR 5 or even a mutiny against the 4 PKR representatives holding government posts.

If true, this shows that there is a party within a party in PKR, one comprising of those holding government posts and the other comprising backbenchers which appeared to be backed by national PKR leaders.

The Penang state government does not intend to meddle into the internal party problems of a party ally and will give PKR time to resolve them before the state government decides how to deal with their preference to trust Umno more than their own state government.

Finally the people of Penang will decide who they trust more on land reclamation – Umno or their own state government of Penang. – November 22, 2015.

* Lim Guan Eng is chief minister of Penang.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.

See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/sideviews/article/can-we-trust-umno-penang-on-land-reclamation-lim-guan-eng#sthash.VZcYkU43.dpuf

Monday 16 November 2015

Penang in TRANSIT : Public Perception Survey Findings on Overall Penang Public Transport. (17/11/2015)

Penang in TRANSIT- Perception Survey on Penang LRT
Tinjaun Mengenai LRT di Penang/ 槟城中转运送轻轨意见调查

1. Do You Agree That Penang Needs An Urgent Solution To The Traffic Congestion?
Adakah anda bersetuju Pulau Pinang memerlukan satu penyelesaian segera dalam mengatasi masalah kesesakan lalu lintas?
你是否同意槟城需要迫切解决交通拥堵？
o Yes / Ya / 是 (97.45%)
o No / Tidak / 否 (2.55%)
2. If Yes, Where Should The Investment Be Chanelled To Solve The Traffic Issues?
Jika YA, nyatakan di mana pelaburan tersebut perlu disalurkan bagi mengatasi isu kesesakan lalu lintas ini?
如果是的话，应该在投资哪方面来解决交通拥堵问题？
o More highways / Lebih banyak lebuhraya / 更多的高速公路 (12.20%)
o Rail network / Rangkaian kereta api / 铁路网络(86.43%)
3. Do You Agree That A Rail Based Public Transportation System Will Benefit Penang And The People?
Adakah anda bersetuju bahawa sistem pengangkutan berasaskan rel akan memberi manfaat kepada negeri Pulau Pinang dan rakyatnya?
你是否同意铁路基础的公共交通系统将有利于槟城和人民？
o Yes / Ya / 是(95.64%)
o No / Tidak / 否(4.36%)
4. Do You Agree That If Nothing Is Done About The Traffic Congestion, There Will Be Perpetual Gridlock On The Island?
Adakah anda bersetuju jika tiada langkah diambil bagi mengatasi masalah kesesakan lalu lintas di Pulau Pinang, isu ini akan berkekalan dan berlanjutan?
你是否同意，如果不采取任何措施解决交通拥堵，将会导致岛上交通瘫痪?
o Yes / Ya / 是(94.91%)
o No / Tidak / 否(5.09%)
5. In Your Opinion Which Would Be A Greener Option To Public Transportation?
Pada pendapat anda, yang manakah menjadi pilihan pengangkutan yang lebih hijau dan mesra alam?
在您看来，哪一个会是更环保的公共交通选择？
o Bus / Bas / 巴士(3.92%)
o Private vehicles / Kenderaan Persendirian / 私家车(5.55%)
o Rail / Rel / 铁轨交通(90.54%)
6. Will You Use The Lrt To Get To Your Destination Rather Than Driving There?
Adakah anda akan menggunakan perkhidmatan LRT untuk menuju ke destinasi anda daripada memandu?
你是否会使用轻铁而不是开车去到你的目的地？
o Yes / Ya / 是(93.42%)
o No / Tidak / 否(6.58%)
7. Would You Support For The Lrt Project To Start Immediately?
Adakah anda menyokong supaya projek LRT dimulakan pada kadar segera / dimulakan secepat mungkin?
你会支持轻铁项目立即启动？
o Yes / Ya / 是(96.11%)
o No / Tidak / 否(3.89%)

We have every right to know what's going on (NST 16 Nov 2015)

We have every right to know what's going on

By Audrey Dermawan - 16 November 2015 @ 11:00 AM

NO one appreciates being kept in the dark, especially if something is happening in their backyard. This is simply because being a well-informed society, any information can be obtained with the click of a mouse.
No wonder some 1,000 fishermen, whose fishing grounds in the sea have been “encroached” on for soil surveys, are not at all amused with the DAP-led state government's inapt silence on the matter.
During a visit to Permatang Damar Laut and Teluk Kumbar recently, the fishing community there claimed they are kept in the dark on the sea works and demanded answers from the state authorities.
All they know is that people have been going out to sea frequently over the past two months to conduct soil testing and several steel beams have been erected in the water between 2km and 4km from shore.
Rumours are going around that the sea will be reclaimed, among others, for expansion of the airport runway, a rail project, a coastal highway or even a holiday resort.
Fishermen Rosli Yusoff, 58, and Mohd Ismail Ahmad, 54, who head the Sungai Batu fishermen community, say they have sought information from the local authorities but to no avail.
Both, however, are lamenting on how their catch have dwindled by more than 20 per cent following the soil surveys.
They also shared how their fishing nets have been damaged by the steel beams, which they claim are left by the workers after completing their surveys.
As Penangites and ratepayers, Rosli, Ismail and the hundreds of other fishermen, whose lives solely depend on the sea, have every right to an answer — a definite answer, that is.
On Thursday, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, when pressed for an answer, said that there was no reclamation project planned off the coastline of Batu Maung for now, but did not rule out the possibility of having one in the future.
Less than 24 hours later, state Local Government Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow, who was also asked on the same issue, confirmed that soil and hydro testing works were ongoing at the seabed off the Batu Maung coastline, leading to potential big-scale reclamation works in the area.
So now, whose words are Rosli, Ismail, the hundreds of other fishermen and Penangites, in general, are suppose to believe?
Why is there confusing and flip-flop answers from Lim and Chow, despite both being in the same state administration?
Lim has always bragged about his CAT (competency, accountable and transparent) government, but this latest episode sings a different tune altogether.
There have been countless calls from various quarters for the state to come clean on the potential reclamation project.
The Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) has urged Lim to announce the purpose of works, which is being carried out by a company, to the people.
CAP is concerned and believes that if there is indeed a reclamation project slated for implementation in the area, it will affect the environment, lives and livelihood of the local fishing community there.
The non-governmental organisation strongly objects to a coastal reclamation project in the area and urges the state government to reject any such idea that is proposed to them.
Penang Federal Action Council chairman Datuk Seri Zainal Abidin Osman says Penangites have every right to know what is happening in the area, especially if it is going to have an impact on their lives.
It will be interesting to see how the issue will be debated at the state assembly session, which resumes today until Friday. In fact, there are many issues which the current administration still owes the people an explanation during this assembly session. Mind you, these are not new issues but old ones, which have not been dealt with promptly.
Over on the mainland, quarry activities have been affecting the lives of thousands of people as well as polluting several rivers, both of which warranted Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar to comment on the situation.
Over on the island, hillslope development projects have caused massive flooding in recent months. There are also cases of illegal land clearing as well as traffic congestion and housing concerns.
Penangites are really hoping this time around that Lim’s administration will fully utilise the state assembly to answer all these bread-and-butter issues instead of harping on national ones.
Lim’s administration should put its own house in order first before telling others what to do.
The writer is NST’s Penang bureau chief

The fishing communities of Permatang Damar Laut and Teluk Kumbar are anxious to know if there will be massive sea reclamation works after soil surveys are carried out off the coast.