First there’s this whole rumour-thing about the DCM I going around for months already. Sounds like someone really had it in for him and wants him gone. Finally, he threw in the towel and has resigned.

So, who will be DCM I? Well, it looks like Abdul Malik, the exco who took over the former DCM’s religious affairs portfolio, is the next best candidate. It’s either him or the relatively unheard of Maktar Shapee of Sungai Bakap.

Then, we have the nature-lovers and environmentalists going all up in arms against the state government’s preprosterous proposal for cable cars to be built at Penang Hill. Really, this idea has been around for years and the reason it didn’t take off because it wasn’t very feasible. Besides, what tourism factor are they talking about? Do you see droves of tourists going to langkawi because of the cable cars? If anything, tourists are going to langkawi is because their beaches are way cleaner than ours.Not because of the cable cars. Sure, cable cars sounds like fun but heck, so do bungee jumping. Why not have that too, while they are at it? It is almost the same because with our culture of dis-maintenance, it is before long that the cable cars fall into disrepair and will prove as exciting as bungee jumping.

And the tiger park proposal is also another ‘duh’ factor.  A tiger park? Whatever for? The forestry department already thinks it is a great idea to shoot any tiger DESPITE THE FACT THAT THESE ARE ENDANGERED SPECIES just because they think it’s a killer tiger and we are talking about a tiger park here? Draw tourists? Yeah. Right. I am SO sure that people will start booking their flights and hotels in Penang just to see tigers.

I mean, if I go anywhere for a holiday especially in this economic downturn, I am sure it must be because of their cable cars and tiger parks. I mean what is a great holiday location without cable car rides and tigers locked behind small enclosures to gape at?

Never mind that the beach of that place is so dirty I am in danger of contracting some weird incurable skin disease after even dipping me toes in it.

Never mind that the taxi drivers are so rude and charge me 100 times more than the usual rate just because I am a tourist and the driver had determinedly refused to use the meter.

Never mind that the general cleanliness of the whole vacation place from tourist attractions to public toilets left much to be desired.

Who cares about hygiene, cleanliness and scrupulous taxi drivers when I can stare and gape at locked-up tigers and get to ride on cable cars? I mean, these are tigers I am talking about. And cable cars. Oh WOW. Cable cars are so much better than those loads of green stuff, otherwise known as trees, all around the hill. I mean, only weirdos won’t want cable cars instead of greenery.

Only a fool would prefer the pristine beaches of Phuket or the politeness of the Balinese.

And the Unesco heritage site of George Town is a total gem. I mean, we are talking about high rise buildings sticking up like sore thumbs in the midst of all those beautiful heritage enclaves. And what living heritage? Seems like the very living heritage of the town is dying out. But I am sure every single tourist that comes here wish to see high rise buildings within the heritage city and modernised buildings and more pubs and motels rather than the living, breathing cultures of the inner George Town.

I mean, pubs and loads of motels and boutiques are so much more interesting than businesses that have been handed down for generations and the people whose families have stayed there for generations. Nothing beats a cold draught of beer I tell you. Or an overpriced pair of shoes.

So, yeah, Penang is really a great and wonderful place what with the heritage city of George Town giving it prestige. It is…

Full of hillslope developments ready to tumble down anytime.

Full of high rise buildings, choking off the air and blocking up the views especially in middle of George Town.

Full of smog and smoke and pollution because the No Car Day *March 25* is just a fluke that not even the state government officials will pledge to, much less the general population.

Full of litter and rubbish in every nook and cranny because its people just do not care.

Full of rubbish politicians too busy mouthing off rather than solving problems.

Let us be the first state to be full of preposterous ideas like tiger parks and cable cars to draw more tourists. Maybe have a casino too. And Disneyland. Just cut off the whole of Penang Hill to build those. I am sure it can draw in more tourists.

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It is NOT the council’s fault that Gurney Drive is dirty. On the contrary, it is THE PUBLIC’S FAULT that the beachfront is dirty. These are my observations on my walks along Gurney Drive:

Council workers sweep and collect piles of rubbish strewn across the beach, the road, the crevices of the rocks on the beach and the whole area at least twice a day. I can see probably hundreds of kg of rubbish was collected EACH DAY.

So, is the council doing their job or neglecting their duty? I don’t know about you, even I DON’T sweep and clean my house TWICE A DAY! Don’t forget, the council is in charge of cleaning up the WHOLE of George Town so they also have to allocate workers in other areas. So, I feel that all this ‘It’s the council’s fault that Gurney Drive is dirty’ crap is really NONSENSE. Why do I say that? Read on.

At least 7 out of 10 people who ‘picnics’, hang around or just spend time there DO NOT use the rubbish bins provided. As far as they are concerned, those plastic rubbish bins are for decoration and any rubbish they have, they leave it on the ground, on the ledge, on the seats or the more ‘hardworking’ ones, they throw it INTO THE SEA / BEACH.

So, is it the council’s fault that Gurney Drive is dirty? Who put the rubbish there in the first place? The council or the public? It is the IRRESPONSIBILITY of the litterbugs that caused Gurney Drive to be dirty.

Just think, the council workers cleaned it up in the morning and then by noon, idiots have already left their litter strewn around. Council workers did a second round of cleaning up and by late evening, more morons have left MORE litter.

It is a vicious, never ending cycle. ALL THANKS TO LITTERBUGS of Penang. So, Gurney Drive is dirty BECAUSE of irresponsible idiots who litter. Unless these people change their mentality, there is no solution to it.

And if you still want to blame the council for not enforcing by summoning the people for littering. Let me tell you it will not work because there IS NO political will for this to happen! BN government, PR government, bah, they are all the same.

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Well, he’s in Penang. Here are the details:

Meet Asimo

Where: Queensbay Mall

When: Thurs – Sunday (Nov 27 – 30)

Time: 11am – 8pm, appearances at 2 hourly intervals

Note: there is also a Doraemon event going on at Queensbay so it’s another bonus!

If robots aren’t your stuff, then check these out…

Penang Floral Fest – Floral Fantasy

Where: Penang Botanic Gardens

When: Sat (Nov 29) – Sunday (Dec 7)

Time: 9am – 7pm

Shows and events there:

Children drawing competition: Nov 29, 9am

Official opening at Penang Botanic Garden: Nov 30, 9.30am – noon

Floral competition: Nov 29, 9am

Floral parade: Nov 30, 9am

Floral Fairy Competition, Nov 30, 9am

Orchid Show and Competition at Formal Garden

Adenium show & Competition at Formal Garden

Floral Art Exhibition at Information Center

Garden / Landscape Competition,

Floral Enclave Exhibition,

Nature Education Outreach Exhibition

Pesta Pulau Pinang

Where: Pesta site, Sungai Nibong

When: Nov 29 – Dec 31

Time: 6pm – 11.30pm

Entrance: RM3 per person & RM1 for children

Christmas at Little Penang Street Market

Where: Upper Penang Road

When: Sunday (Nov 30)

Time: 11am – 6pm

Events: Mek Mulung, Jazz, Christmas carols

Oh and I almost forgot:

DAP Victory Dinner

Who: Lim Guan Eng, Anwar Ibrahim, Lim Kit Siang

Where: Han Chiang School

When: Friday (Nov 28)

Time: 7.30pm

Contact: 04-2288482

So, there you have it. From robots to flowers to Christmas carols. Should be interesting enough. As for what’s been happening in Penang for the past week or so…here are some links to the top news in Penang:

1. Unesco heritage listing: Height of new projects capped at 18m – The Sun

2. 23-storey hotel may jeopardise heritage listing says Teng – The Sun

3. Penang PPP to BN: Shape up or we ship out – Malaysiakini

4. Hindraf slams police over prayer warning – Malaysiakini

5. Gerakan: Use our plan – NST

6. More protest WiFi plan – The Star

7. Don’t speculate on signboard vandalism says police – The Star

8. New life for Penang Road – The Star

9. We used same guide, says Guan Eng – NST

10. Penang told to study impact of projects at heritage sites – The Sun

11. No reckless clearing at Botanic Gardens – The Sun

12. Kings of Tennis inquiry findings to be made public next month – The Sun

13.  Shopping haven is next – NST

And of course, there are the news about the multilingual road signs and the vandalism and etc. Too sick and tired about all those crap so not going to add links to the news of that here.

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Of course, as is usual with this new state government, LGE simply has to point the fingers and blame the previous state government for approving the first three projects. After he is done blaming (while cleverly diverting the attention from the one project that was approved a mere 10 days before the Unesco inscription), then he lists out three ways to solve it.

I find the first option very laughable.

The state government hopes the Culture, Arts and Heritage Ministry will help it cover the cost of compensation if it were to cancel the planning permission given to four high-rise hotels within the George Town heritage zone.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said today that in the worst case scenario, if the state government had to cancel the planning permission to preserve George Town’s Unesco World Heritage status, it would need to pay compensation to the developers.

“We hope the ministry can help us cover the cost of the compensation,” he told a press conference.

- The Sun

LOL. As if the ministry is going to help. Has he forgotten that the BN government will DO ANYTHING to make sure Penang falls? This is just so that they could say this to Penangites,

“See? We told you to vote for us but you chose those incompetent idiots instead so this is what you get lah for choosing the Opposition”

Now, jokes aside, I wonder why the fourth project, a Bintang Holdings project in Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah was approved a mere 10 days before the Unesco inscription?

Of course, LGE can claim that he didn’t know and wasn’t aware but really. The draft guidelines where buildings are not supposed to exceed 5 storeys within George Town have been in place for years. The council has it for years but ‘it was not implemented yet’. This means, the council knows very well about this guidelines.

And I have it on good authority (thanks to a little bird who works in the council) that the Bintang Holdings project has applied for planning permission A LOT OF TIMES. NINE years to be exact. And each time, it was rejected because it was a high rise project.

Then, recently, they tried their luck again and wonders of wonders. It was approved. A mere 10 days before the inscription.

A coincidence?

You tell me.

As for the state government’s predicament now that the damage has already been done, this is what PHT has to say:

Penang Heritage Trust president Dr Choong Sim Poey said the state is legally obligated to enforce the Unesco requirements, which supercede relevant local government legislations.

“Unesco’s Convention on World Heritage Sites (1972) spells out legally-binding obligations on country signatories, without which a site cannot apply for listing,” he said.

- The Sun