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Tuesday June 26, 2012

Councillor speaks his mind

By JOSEPHINE JALLEH and CLIFFORD LEE 
north@thestar.com.my

GEORGE TOWN: Penang municipal councillor Dr Lim Mah Hui, who was earlier slapped with a gag order and prevented from speaking on hillslope projects, finally got the nod to talk on the issue during the latest full council meeting.

MPPP president Patahiyah Ismail had early this month barred Dr Lim from issuing any statement on hillslope development because it could be sub judice.

She had said some of the hillslope development projects on the island involved legal issues which were pending in court.

Dr Lim, who represents the NGOs in the council, yesterday urged MPPP to hold consultative meetings with the public to explain the possible impact of major development projects as well as to get feedback before approving the projects.

He said the council should hold such meetings rather than sticking to the present process of simply focusing on technical requirements before approving the projects.

"It (the current method) will only invite objections from irate residents and result in the council having to deal with appeals and protests.

"In other words, a consultative process beforehand is better than to have a confrontation later on," he said in his adjournment speech.

Dr Lim said planning and development were not just about putting up buildings but also about creating a liveable environment for the people.

"It should be people-centric. Right now, many neighbourhoods are beginning to feel that the planning and approval process is obsolete," he said.

Dr Lim also questioned whether the planning, approval, objection and appeal process was too one-sided especially since residents were disorganised individually and with little knowledge and resources.

"Most likely they do not know the intricate laws and guidelines and the planning process and decisions may not be transparent to them.

"They also don't have access to documents and information to assist them should they want to object or appeal.

"On the other hand, developers have vast financial resources and well-organised lobby groups. If you take them to court or they take you to court, they can hire the best lawyers in town and drag on the legal cases for a long period of time," he said.

He then urged the council to engage more with the people while finding ways to make the planning process more transparent.

Patahiyah said Dr Lim's suggestions would be looked into and discussed.

"We will then issue a written reply to his suggestions," she said.