3 May 2016

Press statement by MCA Penang State Liaison Committee Secretary Dr Tan Chuan Hong

Stop Wanton Destruction of Penang Hills for the sake of preventing climate change

There seems to be no end to deforestation and land clearing in our country. Rampant tree-felling ensues one after another in opposition-controlled states. While illegal logging takes the centre stage in PAS-led Kelantan’s forest reserve of late, news on Penang hills being cleared for large-scale development in DAP-led Penang grabs national headlines today (The Star, 3 May 2016) and for the past few days. All these incidents reveal the ‘‘hidden agendas’’ of opposition in building their political empires on valuable timbers and lucrative land deals.

In the case of Penang hills clearing, it is no doubt that some ‘‘fishy’’ businesses are going on when farmers are allowed to grow crops on the hills on one hand, while earthworks and granite-quarrying activities are carried out for preparation of grand projects including Shaolin martial arts temple, international school, college, four-star hotel and residential units on the huge piece of hillslope forest area near Teluk Bahang.

I wonder how DAP can put up such a lame excuse that it claims these plans were never submitted to the state government, but somehow appeared on the developer’s website as a list of projects in the company’s pipeline. It is beguiling that some syndicates are able to use the name of the state government to legally exploit the lush green areas. This either shows DAP’s weak enforcement on land clearing or its conspiracy with developers for selfish gains.

As the state ruling party, DAP must carry out its mandate to uphold the rule of law and preserve the greenery as a way of caring for its people and the environment they live in. It is also ironic that the Penang Island City Council could blatantly argue that drones would be used to police the crimes when they first claim to be unaware of the activities taking place. If not for local non-governmental organisations’s spy work using satellite imagery, their dirty acts will be kept in the dark forever.

Penangites love their nature and greenery, and Penang also takes pride of being the eight most liveable city in Asia. It is illogical for DAP to create a new tourist spot in Teluk Bahang with a Shaolin temple, when the area is already surrounded with breathtaking scenery and plenty of oxygen-exuding trees.

DAP needs to realise that it cannot right a wrong with another wrong. Not only DAP fails to acknowledge its mistake in clearing the Penang hills, it tries to justify its mistake with mega projects! It is time for DAP to wake up and clean its mess before the Penangites vote it out from the state!

Dr Tan Chuan Hong

MCA Penang State Liaison Committee Secretary

-MCA Online-