Chow Kon Yeow: 曹观友

Press Conference statement by DAP Penang chairman Chow Kon Yeow at the Penang Turf Club on Friday, 28 September 2007
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Today the Penang DAP is moving in to represent the people’s concern over the development of the Penang Global City Centre (PGCC) at the Penang Turf Club.

We have been monitoring the project since last year but we were unable to probe much because of the lack of information.

However since the launch by Prime Minister two weeks ago, concerned Penangites and affected residents began to voice their concern over the project.

However, there seems to be a blackout of their news by the mainstream media. The PGCC Campaign Group has lamented that they were unable to put forth their views.

The PGCC is a high impact project and has great impact on the island and Penangites. As such they have a right to know how this project will impact them.

We are unhappy that the Penang Island Municipal Council President has said that the Council would not be holding any public hearing for Penangites to air their views

We call on Chief Minister Dr Koh Tsu Koon to direct the Council to conduct such hearing as soon as possible.

The developer should also honour their words that they would be transparent about the project. We note that the printed media are not giving spaces to alternative views. The developer is a big-time advertiser and the media bosses are reluctant to offend the developer because of the advertisement dollars.

The developer must lift the “control” and allow the media to engage the public.

Another point of contention is the social housing requirement. It came as a shock when the developer, Patrick Lim said they would be fulfilling this obligation by redeveloping a plot of Council land at Rifle Range.

This is unacceptable and conflict of interest on the part of the Council. The Council is the approving authority and they should not put themselves in such a position. It would mean that the Council would have to approve the PGCC project should the developer commit themselves to the social housing obligation. It is like offering a bride to the Council to get approval for PGCC.

We would be monitoring the PGCC and would work with other NGOs to ensure our future is not compromised.

We have also set up a monitoring committee headed by State publicity secretary and lawyer Wong Hon Wai.

Abdullah Relaxes Race-Based Rules to Spur Malaysian Development

By Angus Whitley and Stephanie Phang

Sept. 26 (Bloomberg) — In the southwest corner of Malaysia, on a stretch of land between a mangrove swamp and a forest of dark green oil palms, groaning bulldozers are carving out a new city from red clay soil.

“This will be downtown Nusajaya,'’ says Zamry Ibrahim, 39, a marketing manager for state-controlled developer UEM Land Sdn. who sells the site to foreign investors. “In five to 10 years, the place will be totally different.'’

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has eased 36-year-old rules favoring the ethnic Malay majority to help woo 382 billion ringgit ($111 billion) in investments aimed at transforming the economy of the southern state of Johor. Investors say his decision demonstrates that the race-based program is outdated and needs to be scrapped as the Southeast Asian nation loses investment to faster-growing neighbors.

“It’s an impediment,'’ said Ian Beattie, who oversees $1.5 billion in Asian stocks at London-based New Star Asset Management Ltd. “You’re stopping the market from operating at its optimum level.'’

Malaysia’s system of racial preferences, originally called the New Economic Policy, was introduced after bloody clashes in 1969 between ethnic Chinese and Malays. The policy, which aimed to increase the wealth of Malays, gives them privileged access to government contracts, jobs and discounts on homes. Of the nation’s 27 million people, about 60 percent are ethnic Malays. (more…)