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11
IT IS
REPORTED THAT Pantai Acheh Forest
Reserve (PAFR) will become either a national park or state park of 1,200ha. The
target date is 5 years from now. A task force armed with RM30,000 has been
formed with University Science Malaysia (USM) and Malaysian Nature Society (MNS)
on the team. It is surprising but as Lee Shook Mee and Leong Yueh Kwong of the
MNS have pointed out, not one park has been established under the National Parks
Act, enacted 20 years ago in 1980.
A
National Park is one that is established for the “preservation and protection
of wild life, plan life and objects of geological, archaeological, historical
and ethnological and other scientific and scenic interest and through their
conservation and utilisation to promote education, health, aesthetic values and
recreation of the people” A Federal Minister controls such a park. The effect
of the Act is to clip the wings of the state government which may not change the
land use of the area without the permission of the national parks board; nor may
the state revoke the status of the park once gazetted.
We shall
have to wait and see. Although nature conservation has the support of
influential politicians such as Chia Kwang Chye MP previous efforts have not
been crowned with success. A memorandum to the state government by MNS (Penang
branch) proposing National Park protection for the forest was sent as long ago
as 1976. In 1983 the then chief minister announced the state’s intention to
turn PAFR into a National Park. In 1985 the Penang Island Structure Plan
Technical Report recommended the conversion
In Brief
At the
state assembly (which meets twice a year) Danny Law Heng Kiang, DAP, Batu
Lanchang, accused the PDC of poor management. It had to borrow $20m three years
ago. Two of its subsidiaries lost RM1.241m. PDC’s joint venture with Anson
Perdana to develop Bayan Bay Mega Mall was abandoned three years ago, with 30%
(RM9m) equity invested . The Penang International Sports Stadium loses RM128,000
each month. PDC does not build enough low cost houses
Lim Boo
Chang (Dato Keramat) pleaded for
lower assessment for flat dwellers. The assessment flat rate of 10.5% was not
fair because flats have to pay service charges He has also called for more than
two sittings of the assembly per year, a call made by Dr Sak Cheng Lam at the
last Assembly meeting. On housing,
Lim Boo Chang says it is not fair to impose the
conditions of RM1500 pm and at least 5 family members
to qualify for housing
Malacca
and Penang are to jointly promote tourism. Malacca hopes the 200,000 long
staying British tourists will visit Malacca. They want to promote Malacca and
Penang as twin historical and heritage sites. Documents for inscription of the
two states for UNESCO will shortly be submitted to the cabinet. The increase in
British tourists is bringing smiles to the tourist industry. Saga Holidays alone
brings 10,000 a year to Sabah; and 140,000 British tourists visited Malaya last
year.
1364ha
will be reclaimed the next 12 years, all by the private sector. 392ha off Tg
Tokong will be reclaimed by 2012 by the Tanjong Pinang Development Corporation
SB, Penang Motor Works SB will do
200ha for the Outer Ring Road, Jelutong Development SB 129.6ha for the Jelutong
Expressway, and LLB(P) SB is expected to complete the work of reclaiming 642.4ha
for B’Worth Outer Ring Road by 2003
The
state has been urged by the Penang Heritage Youth Club to encourage flatland
cycling. Redza Rahman, the national
champ, is from Penang.
Swettenham
Pier, Weld Quay, is to be developed into international cruise centre
RM30
millions will be spent to expand the Botanic Gardens, bringing it in close
proximity to the Youth Park
A Baba
convention drew 300 delegates from Singapore, Malacca and Penang.
Datin Dr Irene Sak led the Penang State Association Choir. The Singapore
Gunong Sayang Association presented a sketch. The Singapore Peranakan Group
mounted a fashion parade
True to
Penang style Kedah Road flat dwellers have been throwing down to ground below broken glass and tiles, durian
skins, and strange to say, children’s bicycles
Seberang
Prai Muncipality plans to acquire 40ha in North Seberang Prai to create
Province’s biggest recreational park.
Sungai
Pinang is the dirtiest river in the country. A DOE survey 1998 of 120 rivers in
Malaysia found this to be so.
Mohd
Hamdan Abd Rahman Permatang Pasir (PAS) said that
pig farming must be accepted by all Pig farming is important to
Penang’s economy. Dato Dr Effendi
Agriculture minister on the Nipah virus has said that if pi g farming not
restored import bill will be between RM2 – RM3 billions a year
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