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THE issue of Penang properties and its price rise continues this week with Himanshu Bhatt’s article in theSun entitled “Affordable homes remain a dream” (02.09.10) questioning the rise of luxury homes at areas periphery to George Town, like Balik Pulau. The piece cites Yusmadi Yusoff, MP for Balik Pulau, who states that “residents of the district have become 'mere spectators' as luxury housing projects way beyond their means crop up around them”.
Himanshu also states that according to the official Penang Structure Plan, the state would require “180,500 new houses to fulfil the needs of the burgeoning population. And to achieve this there needs to be an average of 12,300 houses built yearly.” Nonetheless, if not checked by the authorities, market excesses will leave many youngsters as well as middle and lower-income Penangites “to wonder about as they find themselves surrounded in their own state by homes they can hardly afford”. Read here
The property price issue also serves as a backdrop to the numerous evictions of squatter villages around the island. After Kampung Buah Pala, recently, residents of the century-old Kampung Pulau, a village located behind the Perak Road market received an eviction notice from a developer asking them to make way for a mixed development project. Their representative Khor Hai Eng, who has been staying there for 65 years, claimed that the developer had offered to pay only those with a registered house number a compensation of RM40,000 each.
“The price of low medium-cost houses today is above RM100,000. How are we going to afford to buy one with RM40,000? We are not asking for a big compensation nor are we asking for the double-storey houses which were accorded to the Buah Pala villagers. What we want is just a three-room low medium-cost unit with a parking lot each.” Read here
Other news Penang wildlife dept boss transferred: Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Douglas Uggah Embas said his ministry would appeal and seek a tougher penalty against international wildlife trafficker Anson Wong. Read here Penang pushing for 90-day maternity leave: The Penang government is pushing for the implementation of the 90-day maternity leave for mothers here. Read here Penang tourism chief under fire: Penang Tourism Development and Culture Committee chairman Danny Law has come under fire for failing to perform. Penang Toy Museum owner Loh Lean Cheng, 55, slammed Law and the state government for not being transparent, wasting taxpayers’ money and failing to explain the state’s tourism-related policies to the people. Read here State reps bought ‘backwater’ houses: The houses purchased by two Penang state exco members are comparatively cheaper as they are located in Balik Pulau, considered a “backwater” area. Read here Zakaria to sue over prayer for Guan Eng controversy: Zakaria Ahmad, the Penang prayer leader accused of dropping the Yang diPertuan Agong's name from a Friday sermon last month, has decided to sue two newspapers and an Umno leader over the issue after Hari Raya. Read here
For more news on Penang from August 30 to September 5, 2010, please click here
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Except that in this case, there is no good lawyer with a big heart, no knight in shining armor, no savior angel to come to these people's rescue.
It is unfortunate that big money always wins. It is the government's role to protect the average person from the greed of the big developers. But just like other countries around globe, the governments fail, as they have interest in the developments themselves.
My heart goes out to these villagers in Penang.
With greetings from Iran