#khoo salma

[therakyatpost]

New Post has been published on The Rakyat Post

New Post has been published on http://www.therakyatpost.com/news/2015/03/28/tourists-lament-lack-of-life-in-penangs-heritage-areas/

Tourists lament lack of 'life' in Penang's heritage areas

GEORGE TOWN, March 28, 2015:

Pristine white sandy beaches, good food, rows of pre-war houses with unique architecture awarded with the prestigious Unesco World Heritage Site status reminiscent of that from a movie set…. these are some of the factors which drew German George Hoermann, 58, to Penang after having read about Penang’s attractions on the Internet and travel sites.

However, after just two days of being on the island, the scientist specialising in hydrologic technology said he felt let down and disappointed as “Penang is nothing but just another Disneyland”.

Explaining what he meant, Hoermann said based on his observation, there was just too much development taking place on the island and the heritage houses he had visited gave him the impression it was not “heritage in its true sense”.

“I came here to see for myself the unique architecture and to soak in some sun at the beach in Batu Feringghi, but I am very disappointed.

“Batu Feringghi is dead quiet during the day and the beach there is not like what was described to me. It is dirty and the water is too murky to swim in.

Tourists George Hoermann (left) and Sophia Dazert.

“And as I was walking through the streets of George Town, I noticed many nice buildings with beautiful architecture, but many are empty and in a sad state. There is no real life.

“My wife and I walked along the streets and there are rows after rows of cafés and eateries as well as homes that have been converted into hotels and then in between, there are some shops that are closed down and left in a state of neglect.

“I see more tourists here compared to locals and then there’s the downside of George Town where there are many nice shops or houses, but I find them empty and abandoned.

“Why is this? I’m an avid photographer, but it is sad to photograph this,” asked Hoermann.

He said from his observation, there was an imbalance going on in the tourist attraction places.

“On one side, you have a place full of life with people admiring the paintings, and this place called Acheh Street and Armenian Street are nicely done, but as we walked further out, we found many empty buildings left to rot and they were an eyesore.

“I could sense somehow that this whole heritage area is not ‘genuine’ and it is like a mini Disneyland where people wear costumes with the whole parade going on — that’s what I feel about the heritage site.

“They try to cram in everything together and it ends up looking messy,” he said.

Nevertheless, he said he was delighted to see barber shops, cobblers and furniture makers running businesses in old traditional shops.

“These are the things I wanted to photograph and show my friends back home as they are not available where I come from in Frankfurt,” he added.

True enough, Hoermann’s thoughts echoed that of Penang Heritage Trust president Khoo Salma Nasution, who told The Rakyat Post in a recent interview that if not careful, George Town, especially the heritage area, might lose its soul with original residents left with no choice but to move out, given the major increase in rental there.

She said a recent survey showed that George Town was now occupied by only 9,000 original residents as compared to its previous population of 50,000.

“This has happened to many world heritage sites, where there are more tourists than locals, so tourists end up coming here to see more tourists,” said Khoo Salma.

Hoermann’ partner, Sophia Dazert, said she had not found a clean enough beach for a swim in the sea.

“I am quite disappointed with the beaches that are murky, while the heritage zone is becoming more of a tourist town than a rich heritage area.

“While I am quite happy being here, the environmental aspects and beach cleanliness should be looked into. I’ve been to Phuket and Bali, they are lovely,” she said.

Another tourist from Britain, Mark Hayes, 61, said Penang island had transformed from a laid-back place for relaxation to a fast-paced town.

“Ten years ago, when I was here, the traffic congestion was not so bad. Now it is horrific. As I walk around George Town, I see it has changed so much for the good and for the worse.

“While I have to admit it is cleaner now with more life in town, I miss the old days of Penang, very laid-back and definitely a place for relaxation.

“Now everywhere I turn, I see cars and more cars,” said Hayes.

[therakyatpost]

New Post has been published on The Rakyat Post

New Post has been published on http://www.therakyatpost.com/news/2015/03/21/penangs-development-boom-at-what-cost-part-2-video/

Penang's development boom: At what cost? — Part 2 (video)

GEORGE TOWN, March 21, 2015:

In the first part of this special report on development and heritage issues in Penang, we highlighted how high-end property development in the island state was pushing up property prices, leaving many islanders unable to afford homes. (http://www.therakyatpost.com/news /2015/03/21/penangs-development-boom-at-what-cost-part-1-video/)

In this second part, we continue to delve into the issue which is fast becoming a cause for concern, as experts fear this situation will result in original islanders having to move to the mainland.

While many Penangites continue to lament the island’s rising housing prices, rampant development and ailing heritage landmarks, finger-pointing and continued discussions have not resulted in viable solutions or an amicable agreement on how to solve these problems.

Penang Heritage Trust president Khoo Salma Nasution has noted that every side must realise that there is a problem.

“There is an issue and we must take that issue seriously,” she said.

She added that the key issue forgotten by many was the decline of the original George Town inhabitants who were slowly being forced out by the changes made to the island.

Penang Heritage Trust president Khoo Salma Nasution says that the local authorities have to control land use and regulate between residential and commercial developments. — TRP pic by Wan Kah Hoong

“The number of residents have declined beyond an acceptable limit. If we lose the residents, we’re losing people who have stayed here for generations and our continuity with the past.”

“We’re losing the social memory of the city. We’re losing the people who can transmit this heritage to the present and future generations.”

She added the problem faced by the city was a very complicated one due to the city being a very complex organism, pointing out that it was not just one party’s problem but everyone’s.

“We have to understand what the trend is and collect data, research as well as monitor the grounds. We need to know what problems these tenants and owners are facing.”

“Sometimes, it should be handled on a case-by-case basis and we’ll need a task force for that.”

Khoo Salma stressed that the local authorities had to control land use and regulate between residential and commercial developments.

Real Estate & Housing Developers’ Association Malaysia (Rehda) Penang chairman Datuk Jerry Chan felt that while land prices continue to move up, the rising cost of housing prices would not increase as much.

“The past few years saw a double digit increase, but what we saw last year and project this year is a single digit increase instead.”

Supporting the notion of focusing more on the mainland, he suggests that more developments be shifted there.

“We see that there is a lot more industrial land on the mainland. Industry creates jobs, people follow jobs, and housing development will follow.

“Cost of housing would be cheaper there. For the same amount of money, you can get bigger buildings. The cost of living is also lower,” he said.

Real Estate & Housing Developers’ Association Malaysia Penang chairman Datuk Jerry Chan says that while land prices continue to move up, the rising cost of housing prices will not increase as much. — TRP pic by Wan Kah Hoong

He added that the problem with affordable housing was not that there weren’t enough homes being built, but most of these low to medium-cost houses were falling into the wrong hands.

“At the end of the day, we see a lot of these low to medium-cost units being occupied by foreign workers. So developers were taken for fools to build for people who deserve them, but ultimately they fall into the wrong hands.”

“There is a demand for affordable housing, but the criteria set are very high. The thing is, with the type of criteria set, what guarantee is there that people will qualify for bank loans?“

Chan said the first few years of the housing loans should be tailored in a way that the interest rates and housing loans were lower so that it would help buyers.

“Ultimately, the loan is given on one’s current salary and it could be for as long as 20-25 years, during which the salary will obviously increase over the tenure of the loan.

“Their ability to pay expands. Banks have to make an exception for first-time buyers. They have swung from too much DIBS to no DIBS,” he said, referring to the Developer Interest-Bearing Scheme (DIBS).

“The DIBS given doesn’t make a distinction on whether you’re buying your second, third, fourth or fifth house or even how many houses you’re buying at the same time. We must impress on the banks and lenders to make an exception for first-time buyers.”

Universiti Sains Malaysia’s (USM) urban studies and regional planning expert Dr Norizan Md Nor called for the public to wake up and take a more active role in the development of the city.

“We need development, but we must manage it. What is lacking is public awareness. They must be aware and defend what’s theirs. While we have set much rule and regulations, our public is still sleeping.”

“How can the public allow private sectors to take public lands? How can the public allow this kind of development?

“Look around Penang now. There are so many gated communities. You cannot simply fence up public land. What’s happening in most of the urban part of Penang is that people are forming their own enclaves. We need to conduct studies and research because at the end of the day, we’re looking for a sustainable livelihood.”

He added that more research was needed to create scientific arguments to justify solutions.

“It’s high time we let scientific argument speak in all decision-making. Let’s stop politicising the issues. Let scientific studies and research speak because everything has to be justified scientifically.”

Talking about Penang’s Development Roadmap in 2030, Penang Local Government, Traffic Management and Flood Mitigation Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow noted that there was a plan tabled to the state government to strengthen the social-economic rejuvenation of Penang.

In the plan, areas of physical planning, public transportation, housing, public space, environment, culture, arts and heritage preservation were pushed for the island’s transformation.

“Penang needs to move up the industrial value chain in order to escape the middle-income trap.”

Noting the tourism boom of the island, Chow added that the island should continue its efforts in attracting high and middle-income tourists.

Due to the uniqueness of the island, the creation of a creative industry hub should also be in the works, said Chow.

“There has to be strengthened relationship between the mainland and island as well as encouraging live-work-play neighbourhood through mixed-use development.”

“We can influence sustainable development through incentive-based zoning and with a new land reclamation strategy, we can ensure sustainability and public benefit,” he said.

What is apparent here is that solutions for Penang’s predicament seem to point towards all parties working together to address housing, transport and heritage preservation issues.

Although the blame game is still being played, each sector has spoken out that a cohesive framework which encompasses all parties involved must take action together.

If so, why hasn’t much been done yet?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BTDqbKAzDA