GEORGE TOWN: Penang has accused the federal government of double-standards when it comes to road signs, after the state was criticised for its plan to put up signages in various languages.

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said road signs in Jawi had been in use in Johor over the past 20 to 30 years.Lim had announced that road signs in different languages would be put within the heritage enclave to depict the historical significance of the particular area.

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PENANG is attracting many foreign patients because of its high quality medical services and competitive costs, said Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.
Last year, 210,000 of the country’s total of 300,000 foreign patients derived from Penang, he said.

“Penang is fortunate to have one of the highest doctor-population ratio in Malaysia. The standard of healthcare provided by private hospitals here is second to none,” he said at the 76th Penang Medical Practitioners Society’s Annual Dinner and Dance in Bayview Beach Resort, George Town, on Saturday.

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Wishing all Malaysians a HAPPY DEEPAVALI.
Lets celebrate this festive and holiday season, in a joyful and safe atmosphere, not forgetting the sacrifices made by others.

- YB. R.S.N. Rayer - ADUN Seri Delima

PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s plan to leave office in March next year may further delay the completion of the second Penang Bridge project, said Lim Guan Eng (DAP - Bagan).

The project, scheduled to start construction next month was deferred to end of 2011, he said.
“Penang needs the bridge and the state government is worried that the Prime Minister’s departure may cause more delay. Now it is already delayed for a year,” he said this while debating Budget 2009.

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THE state government has asked Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to consider allocating RM970mil in funding to ensure flood mitigation projects in Penang can be executed.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said RM670mil from the allocation would be used for seven flood mitigation projects in the state.

The projects are the Phase Two Sungai Junjung flood mitigation project (RM125mil), Phase Two Sungai Pinang project (RM125mil); Sungai Juru, Bukit Mertajam catchment area, Permatang Rawa, Sungai Ara and Sungai Rambai project (RM300mil); Bayan Baru Cyber City project (RM30mil); Bukit Panchor, Byram, Transkrian and Jawi project (RM30mil); Bukit Tambun/Tanjung Ketupat project (RM20mil) and Valdor project (RM20mil).

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Narrow river: Sungai Pinang will be widened and deepened under a RM100mil project.

THE Penang Government is looking at several flood mitigation options to introduce near Sungai Air Itam and Sungai Pinang.Among the options considered are retention ponds, bunds and higher dam walls.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said one of the suggestions to the state Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) was to build a 1.5m high retaining bund at Sungai Air Itam to ‘straighten’ the riverbank and mitigate floods.

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BANGI: The DAP has called on the government to ease the burden of the people by reducing the various taxes and help the hardcore poor.

Party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, who is also Penang chief minister, said the country had sufficient funds through corporations like Petronas to provide for the people.
Lim also called on the government to revise the price of petrol on a daily basis as is being done in other countries, rather than fortnightly or monthly.
"With global oil prices dropping, it is time for the prices to come down, including the electricity tariff.

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THE Penang Municipal Council (MPPP) has saved about RM300,000 by scrapping a study tour of George Town’s sister cities and the purchase of laptops for the 24 councillors.

Councillor Tan Hun Wooi said the councillors would continue to use the existng laptops and save the council at least RM100,000.

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GEORGE TOWN: About RM800mil investments are coming to Penang from foreign electronics amd healthcare companies, says investPenang executive committee chairman Datuk Lee Kah Choon.
He said about RM500mil would be from multinational corporations (MNCs) involved in the manufacture of electronic components.

“One of the MNCs is from the US, a public-listed company. The company will set up a manufacturing facility on the island,” he told a press conference yesterday.

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GEORGE TOWN: The Penang Government must prioritise and expedite Phase II of the Sungai Pinang Flood Mitigation project, which had been put on hold by the previous administration.
Datuk Keramat assemblyman Jagdeep Singh Deo said work to deepen and widen Sungai Pinang under Phase II was important to prevent floods during the current rainy spell.

There had been three recent cases of floods in the area which had caused major inconvenience, financial losses and damages to residents.

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GEORGE TOWN: Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng does not want to follow the previous state government’s policy of circumventing the National Land Code (NLC) 1965 by converting reclaimed land to freehold status.
He said Section 76 of the NLC prohibited the state authority from converting reclaimed land to freehold, or for any period exceeding 99 years in order to protect and reserve coastal areas.

“I have been advised that after a piece of land has been reclaimed, it ceases to be seabed and foreshore factually, physically and legally; leaving it within the state’s right to convert its status to freehold. “But this state government will not choose to exercise its powers to make such conversions,” he said in a press statement yesterday.

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THE Penang Government has instructed Penang Development Corporation (PDC) to submit a report on the conversion of the reclaimed land in Pantai Jerejak from leasehold to freehold.
The report is to ‘guide’ the state government from committing ‘mistakes’ in the future and ensure that public access to the seafront would not be denied.

Penang Chief Minister’s political secretary Ng Wei Aik said he had spoken to PDC general manager Datuk Rosli Jaffar to prepare the report for Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who is currently away on a trade mission.

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GEORGE TOWN: Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng wants Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) to review its tariff since the price of crude oil had dropped in the global market.
Lim said that a review of TNB’s charges for electricity was necessary to help the Government’s efforts in curbing inflation and easing the burden on the people.

“Since the price of oil had dropped substantially in the global market, TNB should reduce its tariff to help the rakyat (citizens) curb inflation.

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PENANG is mulling over a landmark case involving the formation of Joint Management Bodies in leasehold properties.
A special committee has been formed to look into the issue after the state received an appeal to a Commissioner of Buildings’ (COB) decision from residents of a condominium in Tanjung Tokong.

“A request from the Marina Bay condominium residents to form a Joint Management Body (JMB) was rejected by the COB in June after which, they appealed against the decision to the state.

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AFTER putting up with traffic congestion and heavy traffic flow for nearly 20 years, residents of Lorong Delima 3, 5 and 7 in Island Glades, Penang, can now heave a sigh of relief following the implementation of a one-way traffic system in the area.
The Penang Municipal Council has turned Lorong Delima 5, and parts of Lorong Delima 3 and Lorong Delima 7 into one-way since Thursday.

Seri Delima assemblyman R.S.N. Rayer said among the first few requests he received from residents in the area after he became assemblyman was to turn the roads into one-way.

“I applied to the council for the change in April. There was overwhelming support from the public and residents during the one-month period they were given for their feedback,’’ said Rayer who was in the area to witness council workers replace road signs.

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BUTTERWORTH: The state government aims to eradicate hardcore poor families in Penang by March next year.
Deputy Chief Minister II Dr P. Ramasamy has urged state assemblymen to identify such families in their respective areas for the state Welfare Department to compile the exact statistic.
He added the state had up to now, registered more than 350 families in the hardcore poor category and efforts were being made to identify more.

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GEORGE TOWN: The Democratic Action Party (DAP) is willing to cooperate with Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in his last five months as prime minister on most of the initiatives he outlined on Wednesday.
The DAP, part of the opposition Pakatan Rakyat alliance, said it is willing to work with the outgoing prime minister on some of the reforms, including restoring the credibility of the judiciary, adopting stringent anti-corruption measures and eliminating the abuse of power among Barisan leaders.

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TO mark the March 8 general election results and raise funds for the party’s new headquarters, the Penang DAP will hold a victory dinner at the Han Chiang High School field at 8pm on Nov 28 in Penang.

Dubbed ‘Malam Kemenangan Rakyat Pulau Pinang’ (Night of the Penang People’s Victory), the event aims to raise RM500,000, Penang DAP chairman Chow Kon Yeow, who is also the event organising chairman, told reporters at a press conference.

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PENANG Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng is leading a delegation to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to woo Middle Eastern investors to the state.
The objective of the five-day visit, which started yesterday, was also to build business networking with the Arabs and other international investors.

Lim is accompanied by his wife, Betty Chew, Invest-in-Penang Bhd (InvestPenang) chairman of executive committee Datuk Lee Kah Choon and MP Jeff Ooi, who is the InvestPenang director coordinating the mission.The trip was at the invitation of a UAE foundation that is linked to the UAE government.

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GEORGE TOWN: Unproven concerns should not impede or delay the state government’s plans to introduce free WiFi and WiMAX services in Penang, said Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (Northern branch) chairman Datuk O.K. Lee.

He said there were many reports for and against the possible health risks posed by the electromagnetic transmission caused by WiFi and WiMAX services.“Many of these reports are not scientifically proven and the final conclusion on this health concern may take years or decades to substantiate.

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GEORGE TOWN: The state government has asked Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to approve a RM58.6mil emergency allocation to help Penang fight crime.
Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said yesterday he would personally make the request when he meets Abdullah at the latter’s Hari Raya open house today.

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