Chow Kon Yeow: 曹观友

Penang Council may demolish illegal entrance

PENANG: The glass box-like side entrance to the Tanjung Umno division building on Bishop Street will be demolished if the building owner fails to meet the requirements.

Penang Municipal Council president Datuk Abu Bakar Hassan said yesterday a notice had been issued to the owner to demolish the illegal extension or get council approval. The owner had since submitted plans which were being vetted.“If the owner complies with the technical requirements for building extensions, we will approve them. If not, building must be redone or torn down,” said Abu Bakar at the Kayuh Lasak Penang Mountain Bike Jamboree 2006 here.

Meanwhile, a state executive councillor expressed surprise over how his name had been dragged into the issue which was highlighted by the DAP.

Datuk Azhar Ibrahim said he had not given any written answer to a question on the matter by Opposition Leader Phee Boon Poh at the state assembly.

Azhar was quoted in the newspapers as saying in his written reply that the side entrance was built without approval.

He said the matter was clearly under the purview of Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan, who is in charge of local government.

Speech by DAP Penang Sate Chairman and MP for Tanjong Chow Kon Yeow at the DAP Penang State Annual Convention held on Sunday, 3rd. December 2006 at the Tanjong Bungah Beach Hotel, Penang.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, TIME FOR CHANGE IS NEAR!

The party celebrates its 40th. Anniversary this year and at this critical period of nation-building process, the DAP is still very much dedicated to the political mission for a Malaysian Malaysia.

Even as the country prepares itself for the 50 years of Merdeka next year, we are reminded of the harsh reality that national unity is still fragile.

While there may be significant socio-economic development in the country since Merdeka, her citizens are still very much divided according to race, religion, culture and languages as a result of 50 years of Barisan Nasional’s hegemonic politics of divide and rule.

We cannot be happy that despite all the abundant natural and human resources, Malaysia is still unable to occupy her rightful place among the rank of developed nations of the world.

Malaysia is found at the bottom of a list of flawed democracies in a new Democracy Index because of its poor ratings in political participation and civil liberties.

This year, Malaysia also found herself lower down in the Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index and the World Competitive Yearbook on Foreign Direct Investment.

Worse still, the country is embroiled in a serious dispute over ethnic equity distribution of wealth and the constitutional rights of freedom of religion for non-Muslims. (more…)