Monday, May 21 2012
Arches down but not out of public debate
Tuesday, 10 August 2010 14:38

THE TILTING arch at the Penang Botanic Gardens is being torn down. The demolition, which started on Monday (09.08.10), will be carried out for six nights for safety reasons. Read here

The RM150,000 arches were part of the RM7mil Botanic Gardens expansion project commissioned by the Tourism Ministry and implemented by the Penang Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID). Its development had in the recent months received a lot of flack from NGOs and the residents of Penang alike. Read here

Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said “We have set aside RM70,000 for the demolition and are still in discussion with the contractor and consultant on who will bear the cost.” Read here

Reactions

The ministry also stated it had learnt from this project and would ensure that the delivery system was improved in future. “From now on, feedback from all stakeholders will be taken into account for tourism projects nationwide that will be carried out under the 10th Malaysia Plan.” Read here

Meanwhile, the Malaysia Nature Society (MNS) Penang branch asked the authorities to take into account views from stakeholders before carrying out such projects. Its adviser, Kanda Kumar, said “discussions should be made in the beginning because once everything is done, the damage has been done.” Read here

Friends of the Penang Botanic Gardens Society (FOPGGS) president Rashidah Begum welcomed the demolition. She said they did not comply with the Botanic Gardens from the start. She said the funds could have been channeled to other parts of the development project, including beautifying the gardens. Read here

The demolition also had Citizen Nades up in arms. In his opinion piece “It’s not over till it’s over“ (theSun, 08.08.10), he emphasises on the need to hold someone accountable for this fiasco. “So, who is going to be held responsible for this loss? Doesn’t anyone want to tell us who mooted the idea; who approved the plans; and who supervised the construction? Surely, no one will condone the loss of public funds, especially that the government is asking all of us to tighten our belts. The saga of the arches should not be considered over. People must be held accountable for the debacle. Transferring personnel is not the solution – you are merely transferring the problem.” Read here

Blogger Anil Netto also weighed in and argued in favour of Nature. “But there is a huge mess to clear and a lot of ‘upgrading work’ to reverse. Already, there is now a tussle between the authorities (Tourism Ministry), who want to salvage the ‘upgrading work’ already done, and local experts more familiar with the garden, who want to restore it in line with best international practices. What this saga also tells us is that putting up ill-conceived concrete structures is NOT development or ‘upgrading’, especially if it disrupts our harmony with Nature.” Read here

Other news

  • Nicol David gets squash centre named in her honour: The International Squash Centre in Bukit Dumbar here where world squash champion Datuk Nicol David first played the game, has been renamed the Nicol David International Squash Centre in her honour. Read here
  • Ivory to buy land in Penang for RM25m: Ivory Properties Group Bhd will buy a plot of land measuring 0.5ha in Bandar Batu Ferringhi, Penang, for RM25 million. Read here
  • No to mini Putrajaya project: The Penang government has decided not to go ahead with a plan conceived by the previous Barisan Nasional (BN) administration to build a “mini Putrajaya” on the island, but has instead offered the land in an open tender for a new development concept. Read here
  • No support letters for contracts: The Penang government has said it does not support the issue of support letters for government procurement or contracts in the state due to its open tender system. Read here
  • More books on heritage city to meet growing interest: Since the listing of George Town as a Unesco heritage site two years ago, there has been a huge surge of interest in the city. Read here

For more news on Penang August 2 to 8, 2010 , please click here 

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