HINDRAF’S massive intervention last week into the High Chapparal issue demonstrates clearly that heritage is often entangled with politics, business and social justice -- and with them, in the Malaysian context, ethnicity and religion. The historical backdrop to the issue dates back 150 years to the days of the Brown Estate. Read here  

Matters came to a head when on May 11, 2009, the Court of Appeal set aside a High Court ruling (that the families had an arguable case) and held that the families of Kampung Buah Pala were trespassers and faced eviction within 30 days. On June 24, 2009, the Federal Court then dismissed the families' application for leave to appeal against the Court of Appeal's decision. Read here.

• Who’s responsible?: The state executive council in 2005 had alienated the land to a cooperative for government officers in Penang – Koperasi Pegawai Kerajaan Pulau Pinang and developer, Nusmetro Ventures (P) Sdn Bhd. Residents then alleged land transfer irregularities and lack of compensation from the developer. Read here for chronology of events and some of the responses by Nusmetro Ventures (here), former CM Koh Tsu-Koon (here) and CM Lim Guan Eng (here)
• What can be done?: CM Lim can sign the compulsory purchase order under Section 76 of the National Land Code 1965 read together with the Land Acquisition Act to secure the land on grounds of public interest (read here) but the land is too costly. Read here and here. The village can also be maintained as a heritage site, in line with George Town’s core and buffer heritage zone, PHT states. Read here 
• Who will act?: The federal goverment has been requested by villagers and CM Lim to step in. Read here and here. The state government has also bought some time but the problem does not seem to be able to go away. Read here and here.

For other news on SOCIAL ISSUES, read here 

Other noteworthy news

• Malacca and George Town stay on Heritage list: Unesco will not de-list or downgrade the status of Malacca and George Town from its World Heritage List, ending a protracted controversy over four high-rise buildings approved by the Penang government in George Town’s heritage zone. Read here
• Intra PR problems continue to haunt Penang: The Penang state executive council has revoked the councillorship of Johari Kassim, PKR Seberang Prai Municipal Council (MPSP) whip (read here) and this has created quite a stir within ranks. Read here, here, here and here 
• Gazetting Jerejak: Plans to gazette Pulau Jerejak as a permanent forest reserve have been delayed as several plots of land there were previously given away on leasehold basis to private hands (read here). In response, Gerakan has insisted that all land matters regarding the gazetting as a state park had been resolved before the March 8 general election last year, and accused the current state government of dragging its feet. Read here and here
• Gerakan's Huan on the offensive again: Suspended Gerakan vice-president Huan Cheng Guan will not appeal to the party’s central working committee (CWC) against his three-year suspension. Read here. Nevertheless he believes he can swing supporters in Penang on to his side against Penang chairman Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan to instead overturn that suspension. Read here
• Road collapses: Work on a high-rise condominium project at Kelawei Road was ordered stopped after a road adjacent to the multi-storey carpark of the neighbouring Gurney Park Condominiuim sank on Thursday (02.07.09) night.  Read here and here
• Confusion over second bridge with PR: There seems to be some confusion within Pakatan Rakyat (PR) over the construction of the second Penang bridge; PKR chief Anwar Ibrahim has other ideas but the DAP-led Penang government is fine with it. Read here
• Only one proposal for ferry: The Transport Ministry has received only one detailed proposal from the Penang Port Commission (PPC) to take over the ferry services in Penang and is open to proposals from other parties (read here). For last week's related roundup, read here
• Visit Penang 3-year campaign takes off: Penang will be holding an extended Visit Penang Year from 2010 to 2012. The campaign is believed to be the first large-scale organised tourism event using the state’s Unesco World Heritage Site status as its thrust. Read here

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