NEWS

Autopont

GREEN LANE'S FRENCH AUTOPONT continues to nag at the public conscience. The accusation that RM7.95 m was wasted on it came surprisingly from the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs parliamentary secretary, Wong Kam Hoong, who is also the Bayan Baru MP and Jalan Mesjid Negri Traffic System Committee adviser. Even the Council's own Infrastructure and Traffic Committee alternate chairman, Ooi Chuan Aik, said Phase I had caused serious traffic problems 

Teng Hock Nam, boss of the Local Government, Environment and Traffic Management however is unrepentant. He claims that autopont has reduced traffic along Green Lane 30 to 40 %. Dr Teng it seems has lost the battle for the second autopont from Batu Lanchang to Jalan Delima. Alternate chairman Ooi Chuan Aik said "The proposal came after the completion of the first autopont in 1999. But since then, it has caused many problems as the traffic from Jalan Mesjid Negri is channelled into residential areas such as Jalan Sir Ibrahim, Lorong Hijau 5, Jalan Hamilton and Jalan Van Praagh. Traffic flow is always heavy in these areas and extremely dangerous to pedestrians. We have received so many complaints over the matter as the traffic volume in these areas has increased." It is also said that Jalan Delima will face a major site constraint that will cause a massive traffic jam on Jalan Scotland before and after office hours if the autopont is built.

Gerakan sees the right solution: the reduction of traffic. Penang needs a single transport authority but the state is not supported by KL.  State has been trying for the past five years to get public transport  companies to integrate services and improve efficiency; to start inner city shuttle services to discourage car use; and to encourage the use of bicycling especially for school children. But its efforts to form a state public transport authority to plan and regulate transport has not succeeded 

But the statistics are not good for Gerakan. Motor sales are  up 19% from 1999 to 288,547 vehicles. 
 
 

Hawkers and politics

SARIPAH AMINAH SYED MOHAMED, MPPP Health and Cleanliness alternate chairman accuses the Council's licensing department for being too lax with hawkers. She says that the Council should clear the streets of illegal hawkers and revoke the licences of those found to be unhygienic. Council is slow and weak in enforcement, she complained to the New Straits Times. 

Wong Mun Hoe, MPPP Licensing Committee chairman, defended Council. "Political interference",  "political backing," rescued the offenders. Wong Mun Hoe hits the nail on the head. We have seen how the whole of Green Lane was slowly but surely turned into a business enclave by illegal use of residential property for business. Not one company was prosecuted. And this illegal area had had the cheek to complain that autopont was spoiling the residential character of the neighbourhood! 
 

Turtle eggs

AFTER A TWO YEAR GAP, turtle eggs have maid their appearance on Penang island's beaches. To be precise, nine green turtles and one hawksbill have been seen laying their eggs once more at Pantai Kerachut, Pantai Telok Kampir and  Pantai Telok Ketapang. in the NW tip of the island.  Enthusiasts, including the department concerned, have asked that these areas be declared a turtle sanctuary. 
 

Talibans  in Butterworth

HAIRDRESSER CHOONG KENG HOOI turned away at the business registration office in Butterworth by a clerk who accused him of "not dressing  properly." The offence? Choong was wearing Bermuda pants and a T shirt and a pair of shoes 
 

Suicide and Hepatitis

THE PAST THREE YEARS  107 men and 18 women committed suicide. 

5% of Malaysians are Hepatitis carriers 

1.5 times more women than men having mental health problems 

22.5% of children below 5 who visited govt clinics for the 1st time in 1999 were found to be  malnourished (compare 8% in Malacca, 17.9% in Kelantan); of overweight children Penang has 6.6%, Malacca 9.8%. #