A rare show of bipartisanship in support of shelving reclamation projects until environmental agency monitors’ approval culminated the last day, but the debates the week before ranged from serious issues to quirky and odd moments.
Here are selected excerpts from the debates at the assembly last week:
Two Js quarrel over Taman Manggis
State Opposition leader Jahara Hamid (BN-Telok Ayer Tawar) locked horns with Exco Jagdeep Singh Deo (DAP-Dato Keramat) on the Taman Manggis government land on the first day of assembly.
Jagdeep said Jahara was part of a state exco in 2007 that had agreed to mark a vacant land next to Taman Manggis for shophouses, and not public housing as alleged by the latter.
Jahara said she could not remember the meeting. Boisterous backbencher RSN Rayer (DAP-Seri Delima) said she could remember well about the issue, as she had given an interview on TV a day before a “Red Shirts” rally took place near Taman Manggis.
Also, for the first time, Jagdeep revealed the name of the exco that decided Taman Manggis should be reserved for a shop lot project. He said according to declassified exco minutes, it was proposed by the then exco Teng Chang Yeow, who is currently state BN chairman, in a meeting on March 28, 2007.
Penang Gerakan were previously reported to have said that it was “just a proposal”, when asked over their role in 2007.
‘No Pork’ sign confusing?
Shariful Azhar Othman (BN-Bertam) was concerned about eateries displaying the “no pork” sign. He felt there should not be such a sign, but should be halal or non-halal signs instead.
Although it was widely understood that the shop does not serve pork, but halal covers food preparation as well, he explained.
Shariful urged authorities to reprimand or remove such signs to avoid confusing foreign Muslim tourists.
Roads and LRT projects
The proposed three paired roads – Air Itam to Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway (LCE); Tanjung Bungah to Teluk Bahang and the Jalan Pangkor-Gurney-LCE – will be carried out in stages from 2016 to 2025.
Works Exco Lim Hock Seng said the first project linking Air Itam to LCE will begin “as early as June”, followed by the construction of the other two roads, expected to begin a year later.
He said the Penang government would like to do all projects at one go, but was not financially ready to do so.
Meanwhile, the Pan Island Link Highway linking Gurney Drive and Bayan Lepas, Lim said, would start in stages between 2017 and 2023.
He also revealed the Komtar-Bayan Lepas LRT line may have three interchanges in between to other LRT or monorail lines.
‘Light Rail Vehicle? No way’
Penang drivers’ habits, congestion and accidents are reasons why Light Rail Transit was favoured over an on-the-road Light Rail Vehicle (LRV) in the Penang Transport Master Plan.
Exco Chow Kon Yeow (DAP-Padang Kota) said LRVs robbed precious lanes off major thoroughfare, which lead to massive traffic.
He said LRVs are expensive and more prone to accidents, with nearly 200 accidents per quarter involving LRVs in Australia.
DAP man cannot be PAC chief, says Umno
Muhammad Farid Saad (BN-Pulau Betong) called the state Public Accounts’ Committee (PAC) to be headed by a non-DAP rep.
He said it was better to have someone from the critical PKR 5 group to be chief, to ensure the inquiry on the RM6.3 billion undersea tunnel-paired roads project would be seen from unbiased lens.
At the recent conclusion of the state assembly, DAP increased their membership in the nine-member PAC. Shah Headan Ayoob Hussain Shah (BN-Teluk Bahang) and Omar Abdul Hamid (BN-Permatang Berangan) were dropped from the committee.
Yeoh Soon Hin (DAP-Paya Terubong), Soon Lip Chee (DAP-Jawi) have taken over their place.
A. Tanasekharan (DAP-Bagan Dalam) remains state PAC chief.
The other members are Farid, Yap Soo Huey (DAP-Pulau Tikus), Dr Norlela Ariffin (PKR-Penanti), Dr T. Jayabalan (PKR-Batu Uban), Mahmud Zakaria (BN-Sungai Acheh), and Mohd Saleh Man (PAS-Permatang Pasir).
Penang low-cost homes remain low cost, says exco
The ceiling price of RM42,500 for low cost (LC) and RM72,500 for low-medium cost (LMC) remains, Exco Jagdeep Singh Deo assured.
He said despite a directive from the National Housing Council to increase prices, to RM65,000 and RM100,000 for LC and LMC respectively, it would not do so.
Meanwhile, Jagdeep also warned those sub-letting units to foreigners that they would be “sternly punished”.
Parks should not have statues, idols
Opposition leader Jahara Hamid (Umno-Telok Ayer Tawar) said the recently refreshed Armenian Street Park’s Chinese shrine might offend the sensitivities of other races. It is not about freedom of religion, she said, adding that such deity statues should not be located in public places.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng (DAP-Air Putih) said the tokong was part of the old park and had been in existence before World War II. He said it was unhealthy to bring up such sensitive topic.
Teh Lai Heng (DAP-Komtar) then reminded Jahara that “this was 1Malaysia”, where people are free to practice their faiths.
Later, Jahara told Lim she did not ask the deity statue to be demolished, but merely relocated. Lim argued Jahara should retract her comments on the shrine as it has created bad publicity. Both parties left the argument open-ended as they bickered to no end.
Pulau Jerejak, Penang’s own Tongkat Ali haven still not gazetted?
Opposition leader Jahara Hamid (BN-Telok Ayer Tawar) said the previous BN government had earmarked the island south of the Penang Bridge to be a permanent forest reserve.
She said plans to gazette the 295ha island into a protected park was approved in the state Legislative Assembly in 2007.
Jahara said it was disappointing nothing was done ever since and was afraid that development might take place on the largely uninhabited island.
Exco Phee Boon Poh then told The Star that the island will be “surely” gazetted soon, adding that there was some work to be done.
He added that it would not be handed out to a third party as alleged by certain quarters.
You are sleeping with the enemy, DAP backbencher tells party man
RSN Rayer (DAP-Seri Delima) began berating Teh Yee Cheu (DAP-Tanjung Bungah) for his participation in a roundtable organised by Barisan Nasional component party, Gerakan.
Rayer then told Teh to join and contest in the next election under Gerakan, since he broke ranks and did the “unthinkable”.
In defence of his attendance at the dialogue, Teh told the August house that being in a Democratic Action Party means it has to be open minded.
“If a party cannot be open minded, cannot be friends, what are we going to do?” Teh had said.
Too many dogs in Malay area, Umno rep claims
Shariful Azhar Othman (BN-Bertam) questioned why local authorities are not acting on an illegal dog pound operated by animal lovers in Kepala Batas.
He said the canines had been a nuisance and ought to be removed as “they were many Malays in the area” and the area was often flood prone. He also asked the pound to be relocated.
Exco Chow Kon Yeow then said the dog pound was told build a wall around the pound to fend off smell and onlookers.
He said authorities’ also found the place to be clean but had been discharging waste from cleaning and dog poo directly to the drains. The premises’ owner have been issued a nuisance notice.