Tuesday, 31 July 2012

Fwd: Hillslope issue in Penang

From: "Ir. Dr. Gue See Sew" <ssgue@pc.jaring.my>
Date: July 30, 2012 16:41:01 GMT+08:00
To: "'Yan Lee'" <leeyan.c@gmail.com>
Cc: <hiyah@mppp.gov.my>, <limguaneng@penang.gov.my>, <chowkonyeow@penang.gov.my>
Subject: RE: Hillslope issue in Penang
Reply-To: <ssgue@pc.jaring.my>

Dear Yan Lee,

Thanks and noted.

Warmest Regards,

Ir. Dr. Gue See Sew

From: Yan Lee [mailto:leeyan.c@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, July 30, 2012 3:32 PM
To: <ssgue@pc.jaring.my>
Cc: <hiyah@mppp.gov.my>; <limguaneng@penang.gov.my>; <chowkonyeow@penang.gov.my>
Subject: Re: Hillslope issue in Penang

noted.

I enquired about monitoring systems done overseas, apologys for the miscommunication. Thank you for the email.

I hope we can introduce a system for Penang, the main purpose being to keep the people of Penang properly imformed to allay their fears of hillslope development.

Regards

On Jul 30, 2012, at 15:13, "Ir. Dr. Gue See Sew" <ssgue@pc.jaring.my> wrote:

Dear Yan Lee,

I am surprised to read your email to YDP.

I didn鈥?/font>t talk to you or anybody on system used in Australia or England.

On CCTV, I mentioned JKR has introduced it in some of their projects.

Warmest Regards,

Ir. Dr. Gue See Sew

-----Original Message-----

From: Geotechnics Professionals [mailto:gnp-geo@gnpgroup.com.my]

Sent: Monday, July 30, 2012 9:12 AM

To: ssgue@pc.jaring.my

Subject: FW: Hillslope issue in Penang

-----Original Message-----

From: Yan Lee [mailto:leeyan.c@gmail.com]

Sent: Sunday, 29 July 2012 10:47 AM

To: Patahiyah Bt Ismail

Cc: gnp-geo@gnpgroup.com.my; limguaneng@penang.gov.my;

chowkonyeow@penang.gov.my

Subject: Hillslope issue in Penang

YDP

I attended a discussion with Dr Gue yesterday.

In summary of my suggestion to Dr Gue, was that :

1. a form of monitoring system for slope development 2. publish live on MPPP

website of the projects 3. make the developers pay for this system, they

will channel it to the end user anyway.

4. Dr Gue to advise on new accurate, state of the art system being currently

used in Australia or England where the safety of residents is PARAMOUNT.

5. This live feed shall give the people confidence in hillslope

developments.

6. a concern with hillslope development for the lay person is not

understanding whats being done.

7. there is also a misconception fueled by 50 over years of BN rule, that

the civil service like MPPP cannot be trusted to take care of us.

Salam Bersih Malaysia

Thank you for a new Malaysia.

Fwd: Chowrasta market

Begin forwarded message:

From: Khoo Salma <snkhoo@gmail.com>
Date: July 30, 2012 23:07:09 GMT+08:00
To: Patahiyah Bt Ismail <hiyah@mppp.gov.my>, Yew Tung Seang <tsyew@mppp.gov.my>, "chowkonyeow@penang.gov.my" <chowkonyeow@penang.gov.my>
Cc: Timothy Tye <asiaexplorers@gmail.com>, "Sheau Fung, Ho" <sheaufung@pht.org.my>, Rebecca Duckett <rebeccaduckett@mac.com>, Hamdan Abdul Majeed <hamdan.majeed@khazanah.com.my>, Dato Dr Anwar Fazal <anwarfazal2004@yahoo.com>, kevin low <lsd.sps@gmail.com>, GTWHI <limcp@gtwhi.com.my>, Penang Heritage Trust <info@pht.org.my>, laurenceloh.lla@gmail.com, Penang Citizen <citizenchant.group@gmail.com>, zairil <zairil@penanginstitute.org>, Clement Liang <clement@pht.org.my>, "Maimunah bt. Mohd Sharif" <ydp@mpsp.gov.my>
Subject: Re: Chowrasta market

Dear YB Chow, Yang Dipertua Patahiyah,

Thank you YB Chow for inviting us to give comments on the Chowrasta Market survey today. We will make comments according to the form given. In the meantime, I would just like to give a few preliminary comments about the briefing. Here is a quick timeline:

early or middle of 2011 - we heard about the Badan Warisan Survey
Dec 2011 - proposal for the car park andC partial redevelopment of Chowrasta was announced
2 July MPPP invited PHT to hear about proposal for car park and bringing the traders in from the street.

27 July - Janet Pillai informs us that the Think City-sponsored Badan Warisan Survey is on the website.
27 July - We were alerted by Citizen's Chant that the Badan Warisan Survey would be presented at Chowrasta today 30 July.

Today at the briefing, I asked a few questions about how many people are using the market, what kind of sampling was done and so forth, and was told to read the report. In fact for every question I asked I was told to read the report. However, upon further questioning, I found that the answers to the questions I asked were not in the report.

I also asked whether upon embarking on the survey Badan Warisan was briefed about the proposed car park, and the answer was that was not part of the brief. In fact the survey emphasised the importance of the street market, which I certainly agree with.

What is confusing is that the presentation on July 2 not consistent with the presentation today on 30 July. The survey does not recommend a 140 bay car park. It emerges that there is information in the survey which is not presented, that there are further discussions with focus groups, and further discussions between MPPP and Think City and these may have led to the proposal.

However this was certainly not mentioned at Chowrasta today. Instead we are asked to respond to a survey - the key recommendations of which have already been ignored and discarded.

The announcement in Buletinmutiara says that the upgrading will include a new multi-storey car park - which will certainly pollute the market, encourage more car use to the detriment of pedestrians, bus users, trishaw users and public transport users - and yet make Chowrasta eligible for Green Index certification.

Can you imagine for example, if the MPPP were to celebrate Earth Day by announcing the building of a new car park? I know that the term Green Index is flexible but I did not realise it was this flexible.

We should have been presented with the survey first, annd asked for feedback. And if the MPPP is adamant about a car park in Chowrasta or even anywhere in the World Heritage Site - there should certainly be a Heritage Impact Assessment done by an independent third party. It is not in the SAP which has been endorsed by the state and approved by UNESCO.

There is no dispute that the market needs improving and we are glad that LLA which has much experience with heritage has been appointed the consultant. We had a discussion with Laurence Loh and he says that the brief from the car park comes from MPPP and so as consultant he is merely following the brief. That is why I feel I have to write this email.

I would like to thank YB Chow and Yang Dipertua for opening the process to public consultation. I know your intentions are good and that you want the best for Penang. I also know you are under a lot of pressure to provide car parking.

But please remember that CARS ARE NOT GREEN, and that UNESCO recommends restriction of traffic in the World Heritage Site, not providing more car parking in the World Heritage Site. From a planning point of view, multi-storey car parks next to the Fort Cornwallis, next to religious monuments and in the heart of the peope's market should simply not even be considered.

We have to realise that the Chowrasta is the most important and heavily used multicultural public facility in the World Heritage Site. We should recognize it as an Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) hotspot. There is the silent majority of users who have no cars, they buy food and carry it back on foot or by bus to their homes to cook it, they should be put first before car users, because they do not have the option of driving to TESCOs or other markets.

We have already relocated Prangin Market. If we keep undermining our ICH hotspots, we will be systematically driving the life out of the World Heritage Site. We are all willing to provide ideas and work with MPPP for better and truly green solutions.

Khoo Salma, Penang Heritage Trust

Buletinmutiara
MPPP is inviting the public to a public briefing and viewing of the Chowrasta Market upgrading. The proposals for the upgrading include making Chowrasta the first market to obtain Green Building Index certifcatiion. A new multi-storey car park with approximately 140 parking bays will be incorporated into the current building. New escalators and elevators will be build for heavy usage and also to cater for people with special needs (OKU).

The public viewing and briefing will be held on :

Date : 30 July 2012 (Monday)
Time : 2 pm
Venue : 1st floor, Food Court, Chowrasta Market
Public is invited

A second Focus Group Workshop will be held on :

Date : 6 August 2012 (Monday)
Time : 2 pm
Venue : 1st floor, Food Court

Monday, 30 July 2012

MPPP councillor questioned neutrality of hillslope advisory panel

Property

Search for Property

Sunday July 29, 2012

Advisory panel's neutrality questioned

By KOW KWAN YEE
kowky@thestar.com.my

GEORGE TOWN: A Penang municipal councillor has questioned the independence of the advisory panel that helped the state government to study and modify guidelines for hillside projects.

Dr Lim Mah Hui wanted to know how the state government could ensure the panel's neutrality when developers were allegedly the "major paymasters of the whole scenario".

He asked this during a 30-minute Q & A session at a talk titled 'Hill Site Development — Challenges and a Way Forward' organised by the International Real-Estate Federation Penang branch.

The speaker at the talk was Penang hillside geo-technical advisory panel chairman Prof Dr Gue See Sew.

Dr Gue, who is an Oxford-trained geo-technical engineer, was asked to explain the out-of-control hillslope housing development in the state.

Dr Lim said Dr Gue's technical explanations that hillslope development could be safe for housing projects, could become the "passports" for developers to cut hills.

"We should look into environmental and cultural sustainability. Are we going to turn our hills into concrete jungles although it is technically possible to do so?" asked Dr Lim.

Some representatives from non-governmental organisations, who echoed similar views, said Penang was well-known for its hills and strict regulations should be enforced to monitor the projects.

However, those who supported building houses on hillslopes felt that progressive development due to the growing population was a rea-lity.

Earlier, Dr Gue said sustainable hillslope development was possible as long as there were high professional standards and integrity.

He said the 76m height above sea level ruling was not relevant to be included as a requirement for the council for development, adding that slope gradient mattered the most.

"For example, a piece of land 200m above sea level with only a slope gradient of over 25 degrees is considered a gentle slope that is safe for development.

"However, a hill site located only 40m above sea level with a slope gradient of more than 30 degrees needs extra safety measures," he said.