THE lifting of the suspension of former Bukit Bendera Umno chief Datuk Ahmad Ismail last week triggered strong reactions from many quarters. He had been suspended from Umno for three years following a public outcry after he called the non-Malays “pendatang” (immigrants) during the Permatang Pauh by-election campaign last year (2008). Read here.

Penang Umno welcomed the decision by its Supreme Council. State Umno secretary Datuk Azhar Ibrahim stated Ahmad was still the man for Umno. "I believe the party Supreme council had considered seriously on the matter before making the decision and Umno Penang would always ready to welcome Ahmad,". Read here.

Expressing regret, on the other hand, was Penang Gerakan. State chairman Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan said although the decision was an internal Umno matter, the party still needed to explain it to the people. He said this was because the Ahmad Ismail issue had escalated into a public concern which touched on racial sensitivities. Read here.

Meanwhile, Penang’s ex-CM and Gerakan president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon demonstrated indifference to the decision and stated that the announcement was insignificant. “Is it such an important issue?” he asked when pressed for a reaction. Read here.

In another reaction, DAP leaders challenged BN components, Gerakan and MCA, to make their stand known on Umno’s decision. Read here.

Other news

• Balik Pulau to worm its way into becoming an organic valley: Balik Pulau is set to "worm" its way into becoming an organic valley. A worm fertiliser academy, which was set up in Sungai Burung recently to guide farmers to produce their own fertilisers, would be the stepping stone towards achieving the target within five years. Read here
• PPSB to split off Penang Ferry service: The Penang Ferry Service, which links Penang island to the mainland, will be turned into a separate entity from the Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB) in the first quarter of next year. Read here
• Only 1km strip of land for monorail test track: Parties that have expressed interest to build the monorail test track in Batu Kawan will only be given a 1km-long narrow strip of land belonging to the Penang Development Corporation (PDC). Read here
• Approval for 'Rice Miller' project in heritage zone: The Penang state government has given the nod to the owners of the Rice Miller Weld Quay development project located within the George Town heritage zone to start construction. Read here
• Penang needs 12,000 new houses annually: An average of 12,300 houses need to be built yearly to accommodate the state’s growing population. Read here
• Developers still drawn to Penang's allure: Penang remains a property hotspot with developers from both the island and the Klang Valley, with the number of new projects increasing in the third quarter of this year. Read here
• Guan Eng: Think globally, act locally: Penang needs to think globally and act locally to transform itself into an international city, a knowledge-intensive and high-income economy. Read here
• Mystery over Penang's 'missing link': Was it cut and carted away by scrap metal dealers or did it just rust, rot and crumble? No one seems to know the truth behind Penang's "missing link", the old iron bridge which used to link Prai in Nibong Tebal to Perak. Read here
  

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