An Article from KwangWah, Balik Pulau Development

मेरे ipad से भेजा

Begin forwarded message:

From: yee li <yeeelii@yahoo.com>
Date: April 14, 2012 20:19:55 GMT+08:00
To: "citizenchant.group@gmail.com" <citizenchant.group@gmail.com>, Jimmy C S Lim <cslcyy@yahoo.co.uk>, "leeyan.c@gmail.com" <leeyan.c@gmail.com>, Rebecca Wilkinson <rebeccaduckett@mac.com>, "shtan0202@yahoo.com" <shtan0202@yahoo.com>
Subject: An Article from KwangWah, Balik Pulau Development
Reply-To: yee li <yeeelii@yahoo.com>

Hai all,

       Just to share with you guys, read this article from today's kwongwah, it is not something new happen in Penang and I believe we all knew eventually it will happen to Balik Pulau, just the matter of time. It is sad to read this piece. I read an article weeks ago from kwongwah saying a newly (maybe) Penang developer aiming to transform Balik Pulau into an international city which DUBAI is the precedent to refer, GOSH! They own a big piece of land .....I can't remember and I can't find the article in the archive of e-kwongwah. Not sure any of you guys are aware of this?

     Anyhow, attached a few photo of  the development on the way from Teluk Kumbar to Balik Pulau. A drastically changed of scenery from one to another. Always hope it will put a stop before entering to Balik Pulau but.....speechless.  No way to prevent it from coming too fast?

Yee Li

http://www.kwongwah.com.my/news/2012/04/14/5.html

(google translate)

The tread of Penang housing prices rocketing is now blowing to the "back garden", 80% new comers intrude to Balik Pulau.

At 12:06 on April 14, 2012

(Penang，13th) After the repeal of the rents control laws in George Town, Penang,  it caused  the tenants to move out of George Town, due to the soaring house prices,  the locals cant afford to buy a house, now, it happens again, the 'back garden' Balik Pulau, to say in the next five years, the booming of housing industry will cause the prices rising rapidly, more and more locals from Balik Pulau expected to move out disappointingly.

Balik Pulau has been hailed as the "back garden" of Penang, and rising local house prices has exceeded the load capacity, I believe in the next 10 years, the locals cant afford to buy the a house, and they will have to move out from their originate house in Balik Pulau to places where provides cheap affordable housing, or even move towards Seberang Prai.

Limited financial , The local from Balik Pulau despair to the new house

Balik Pulau Jalan Baru, township committee chairman, Chen Weijun respondents and reveal the locals plight due to the development, he also pointed out that the soaring house prices will in the end, result the change of the population structure, or furthermore derivative social problem, the government must be vigilant to prevent it to happen.

He said the housing price has doubled in the past five years in Balik Pulau, such as his own property in Pulau Betong, semi-detached from 200k rose up to 500k, doubled in the return. Besides, forth coming new construction at Jalan Baru, single-storey housing costs 360k and single-storey semi-detached costs 600k, two-storey semi-detached costs 800k, two-storey bungalow is reaching one million.

At once, his friend was making fool out of him for taking bank loan to buy the 200k house, however, presently the value of the house is doubled up. He then said he believed that there is only 20% of the house owned by the local, others are occupied by the outsiders who involve in business, or engineering fields.

He admits that the uniqueness of the Balik Pulau has attracted investors rapidly, however, due to the financial limitation of the locals, ultimately, they will have no choice to leave their home land to some where affordable, it is sad to see the home land have to give way to outsiders.

To end the leisure lifestyle in Balik Pulau will hence affect/imbalance the social structure

Chen Wei Jun believed that in the next 15 years, the carefree lifestyle and picture of Balik Pulau will change due to the moving out of the locals due to unaffordable housing.


He also worried that rising house prices eventually leading to the social structure imbalances, especially the  high-priced housing, the other hand is humble Malay houses, there is no guarantee of the instigation crises due to political purpose.

He also found that, unlike the Balik Pulau usual small town and the community close-knit community lines, many new comers find difficulty in fitting themselves into local community context, they are more towards caring themselves only instead the whole, it generate the unpleasant situation.

He felt helpless that the locals have being evicted due to the current development condition, he hopes that the Penang State Government will pay attention to the balanced development of society instead having interest of the development profit and derivative social structure problem in the future. He agreed and thankful that the Penang Government is committed to transform Balik Pulau as a education hub, however, he does hope the state government will pay attention and concern towards the out of control development and could not restore the situation in the future.


Development should benefit local residents

In term of the development pace, CHen Wei Jun hopes that the locals will can be benefited from the development, and provides job opportunities to them.

He does not want the investors are looking only about money, and make the locals as their workers, on the contrary, it is necessary to allow the locals to participate in any development project, as such, state government needs to develop a guideline to benefit the locals. On the other hand, for the Jalan Baru 49 acre development, he admits it has no turning back, however, he felt grateful that the developers respond positively towards the queries from the local residents.