Keeping me fingers crossed that MPPP had managed to convince the infamous Attorney General's Chambers to appeal the decision awarded by the Magistrates Court.
Well waiting for the press to confirm.
Monday, January 31, 2011
CNY YB CHOW's open house
All welcome to YB CHOW's open house on 6th day CNY at Lee Kongsi, Jalan Burma.
conservation vs demolition
Holistic development needed for Penang
WEDNESDAY, 13 OCTOBER 2010 12:52
While some parties, including landowners and developers, were unhappy when George Town was finally made a Unesco World Heritage site in 2008, renowned architect Laurence Loh, a heritage conservationist, heaved a sigh of relief.
The inscription was the culmination of decades of hard work by many people, including Loh.
Now, even detractors are using the World Heritage site status as a selling point for their projects, some of which are nowhere near or within the heritage enclave.
“These are the very people who were cursing us saying the listing would bring prices down. Now they are the very people who are promoting it and eating humble pie,” said Loh.
The Edge Financial Daily caught up with Loh at the historical Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion. Loh’s conservation work on the mansion earned the project the Unesco Asia-Pacific Heritage Award for the most excellent project in 2000.
Loh described the world heritage listing as the most successful “land re-evaluation exercise” in the history of Penang.
“If you think about it, which area has now been revalued so much that it will keep going up steadily for the next 60 years? No doubt, there are other areas where prices are dictated by market forces but this is heritage real estate,” Loh said.
According to valuation reports by several real estate agencies, from a mere RM200 per sq ft prior to the inscription, prices have gone up to RM600 per sq ft in the core areas while some owners are demanding more than RM800 per sq ft, said Loh.
“Rentals have also steadily gone up over the past two years,” Loh added.
Loh said before the inscription, properties would only fetch higher prices if they were fully renovated. The scenario has changed. People now want shophouses in their original state, he said.
“Buyers who used to say I will only pay you higher if it is fully renovated are now saying that if it is in the original condition, I will pay more.”
Other selling points are location, who the owner or architect was, and the historical and architectural significance of the site. Today, properties that used to be described as “rent control” and “prewar houses” are being touted as “heritage”.
Loh said other than value appreciation, the conferment of World Heritage site status also attracts the cultural traveller who would spend time in Penang, as opposed to the usual type of tourists.
Single entity
Loh in front of the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion. There are now so many sites under threat but nobody is talking about it, he says.
Loh in front of the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion. There are now so many sites under threat but nobody is talking about it, he says.
He also said the listing has set Penang apart from the rest of Malaysia. The challenge now is to ensure that development is holistic in nature, and zonal strength is turned into a collective and regional strength.
“Don’t only conserve what’s within the heritage site and ignore historical settings outside the enclave. We should think further ahead,” Loh stressed.
He was referring to huge development projects located next to heritage buildings outside the core and buffer zones where height restrictions or other conditions set by Unesco do not apply.
Loh’s view is that both heritage and development could be done in harmony by finding a different paradigm which would then add value to the entire state.
Penang would lose its identity if it started looking like the Klang Valley, he said.
“We now have this distinct advantage, because we are different. What new buildings can an architect bring to Penang that we cannot find in KL or Singapore? That is the challenge I would throw at developers,” he said.
He suggested that George Town, Bayan Baru, Butterworth and Balik Pulau should be looked at as one city just like Greater London, Hongkong and Kowloon.
“You have to think like that and we have to be holistic as a single entity... Everyone has been myopic and they have been looking at just this site,” Loh added.
He said it would be interesting to see how much emphasis is put into the local plan for the rest of the state as a holistic heritage entity.
“The previous state government had announced that while everything inside the city had to abide by the heritage guidelines, others did not have to do so. Everything which is outside [the city] has also to be looked into and that shift must come very quickly or we will have another battle again. There are now so many sites under threat but nobody is talking about it,” Loh said.
He cited the example of a house along Pykett Avenue which was demolished recently. The house on a 3.38-acre site belonged to the late Khaw Bian Cheng. Khaw, who had served as the governor of Satun and Yala in Thailand and was the last quasi governor living in Penang, was the centre of Thai influence in the state.
According to Loh, the house was intact but a family battle led to it being sold to a developer who demolished it without a whimper from anyone. He added that plans were also afoot to develop the Tenby School site along Jalan Kelawai which was listed.
“Nobody said anything and these are now the big battles we have to fight,” he added.
Penang local government committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) was still relying on a list of Class 1 and Class 2 heritage buildings which had been compiled even before the Unesco listing.
“I believe when the lists were done, even the owners were not consulted and some of those whose property has been listed as Class 2, which allows for development around the building, are asking for their properties to be reassessed.”
Chow pointed out that even the National Heritage Act stipulated that once a building is classified as heritage, the owner can serve a purchase order on the authorities who had classified the building. If the owner cannot do anything due to the classification, he can demand that the authorities buy the property.
On the Pykett Avenue house referred to by Loh, Chow said the house was not even listed and the only offence committed by the owner was to demolish it without approval from the council.
Chow said plans had been submitted by a developer to build condominiums at the Tenby International School site where one of the buildings was a Class 2 building.
“This will allow the developer to build around the classified building but plans for the project have yet to be approved,” he added.
Development grants
Loh acknowledged that there were efforts by many landlords who see that properties can be developed without having to be demolished.
Some of these efforts are being helped along by grants given out by Khazanah Nasional Sdn Bhd for conservation and restoration works. The grants are managed by Think City Sdn Bhd, of which Loh is also a director.
Think City is a special project vehicle (SPV) established by Khazanah as a 100% subsidiary to implement and manage the George Town Grants Programme (GTGP) with a RM20 million outlay. It has also been entrusted to help in the creation of a Special Area Plan and a heritage management plan for the George Town World Heritage Site.
The GTGP is aimed at creating a culturally vibrant and sustainable city. During the first round of approvals in April this year, Think City gave out 18 grants worth RM1.85 million for 11 physical conservation projects and seven grants for documentation projects related to physical conservation and urban rejuvenation within the George Town Heritage Site.
Of these first round projects, the Carpenters Guild or Lo Pun Hong project has been completed.
The second round of approvals in August saw 10 grants worth RM876,328 being given out, of which six were for physical conservation projects and four were for cultural mapping projects related to physical conservation and urban rejuvenation.
Among the other projects which have also been allocated grants are the restoration of Seven Terraces at Stewart Lane by Baiduri Sdn Bhd (about RM178,000); the publication of a biographical dictionary of Penang mercantile personalities (RM122,000); and documentational work on the Sun Yat Sen Heritage Trail by the Penang Heritage Trust (RM100,000).
“So now, we are in fact spreading the value to everybody, not only people who have money to do new buildings; even those with old buildings can benefit. I don’t care where the money comes from, as long as it goes to heritage,” said Loh, obviously referring to the RM20 million entrusted to Think City from Khazanah Nasional to be distributed .
The subject of funding has been a sore point with the state government which has been hitting out at the federal government for not directly allocating the funds to the state as it did for Malacca, which is jointly listed with Penang. The Malacca state government was allocated RM30 million for its heritage con servation projects.
“This is the first agency worldwide that is giving out grants, not loans, towards heritage conservation to individuals, which I have been advocating for many years,” he said.
Loh said the unique financing system was the only way to kickstart restoration works which are aiding heritage.
“No other country is giving out such grants to individuals using a very transparent system,” he added.
A passion for conservation
ASSOCIATE Professor Laurence Loh, an architect by profession, has spent the past 26 years protecting, conserving, managing and sustaining the cultural heritage of Malaysia.
Trained at the Architectural Association in London, he runs the architectural practices of Laurence Loh Akitek and Arkitek LLA Sdn Bhd. His expertise and contributions in built heritage have been acknowledged nationally and regionally.
Loh is best known for the restoration of the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion in Penang that won the ‘Most Excellent Project’ at the inaugural Unesco Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation 2000.
This was followed by the Unesco Heritage Award of Merit for the restoration of the Cheng Hoon Teng temple in Malacca.
In 2008, his restoration of Stadium Merdeka won the Unesco Award of Excellence, whilst Suffolk House in Penang, the only surviving Anglo-Indian Georgian mansion in Southeast Asia, was accorded the Unesco Award of Distinction. His Lunas Rubber Smokehouse project has been shortlisted for the 2010 Aga Khan Awards.
Loh is also the deputy president of Badan Warisan Malaysia, a trust that provides advisory services and skills training within the whole spectrum of cultural heritage conservation.
He is presently a director of Think City Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Khazanah National Bhd which manages a grants programme for the World Heritage Site of George Town, and the Asian Academy for Cultural Heritage Management.
In parallel with his professional career path, Loh also devotes his time to education.
He currently teaches at the University of Hong Kong and at the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property in Rome.
This article appeared on the Penang Pulse page,The Edge Financial Daily, October 11, 2010.
Set as favorite Bookmark Email This Hits: 160
WEDNESDAY, 13 OCTOBER 2010 12:52
While some parties, including landowners and developers, were unhappy when George Town was finally made a Unesco World Heritage site in 2008, renowned architect Laurence Loh, a heritage conservationist, heaved a sigh of relief.
The inscription was the culmination of decades of hard work by many people, including Loh.
Now, even detractors are using the World Heritage site status as a selling point for their projects, some of which are nowhere near or within the heritage enclave.
“These are the very people who were cursing us saying the listing would bring prices down. Now they are the very people who are promoting it and eating humble pie,” said Loh.
The Edge Financial Daily caught up with Loh at the historical Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion. Loh’s conservation work on the mansion earned the project the Unesco Asia-Pacific Heritage Award for the most excellent project in 2000.
Loh described the world heritage listing as the most successful “land re-evaluation exercise” in the history of Penang.
“If you think about it, which area has now been revalued so much that it will keep going up steadily for the next 60 years? No doubt, there are other areas where prices are dictated by market forces but this is heritage real estate,” Loh said.
According to valuation reports by several real estate agencies, from a mere RM200 per sq ft prior to the inscription, prices have gone up to RM600 per sq ft in the core areas while some owners are demanding more than RM800 per sq ft, said Loh.
“Rentals have also steadily gone up over the past two years,” Loh added.
Loh said before the inscription, properties would only fetch higher prices if they were fully renovated. The scenario has changed. People now want shophouses in their original state, he said.
“Buyers who used to say I will only pay you higher if it is fully renovated are now saying that if it is in the original condition, I will pay more.”
Other selling points are location, who the owner or architect was, and the historical and architectural significance of the site. Today, properties that used to be described as “rent control” and “prewar houses” are being touted as “heritage”.
Loh said other than value appreciation, the conferment of World Heritage site status also attracts the cultural traveller who would spend time in Penang, as opposed to the usual type of tourists.
Single entity
Loh in front of the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion. There are now so many sites under threat but nobody is talking about it, he says.
Loh in front of the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion. There are now so many sites under threat but nobody is talking about it, he says.
He also said the listing has set Penang apart from the rest of Malaysia. The challenge now is to ensure that development is holistic in nature, and zonal strength is turned into a collective and regional strength.
“Don’t only conserve what’s within the heritage site and ignore historical settings outside the enclave. We should think further ahead,” Loh stressed.
He was referring to huge development projects located next to heritage buildings outside the core and buffer zones where height restrictions or other conditions set by Unesco do not apply.
Loh’s view is that both heritage and development could be done in harmony by finding a different paradigm which would then add value to the entire state.
Penang would lose its identity if it started looking like the Klang Valley, he said.
“We now have this distinct advantage, because we are different. What new buildings can an architect bring to Penang that we cannot find in KL or Singapore? That is the challenge I would throw at developers,” he said.
He suggested that George Town, Bayan Baru, Butterworth and Balik Pulau should be looked at as one city just like Greater London, Hongkong and Kowloon.
“You have to think like that and we have to be holistic as a single entity... Everyone has been myopic and they have been looking at just this site,” Loh added.
He said it would be interesting to see how much emphasis is put into the local plan for the rest of the state as a holistic heritage entity.
“The previous state government had announced that while everything inside the city had to abide by the heritage guidelines, others did not have to do so. Everything which is outside [the city] has also to be looked into and that shift must come very quickly or we will have another battle again. There are now so many sites under threat but nobody is talking about it,” Loh said.
He cited the example of a house along Pykett Avenue which was demolished recently. The house on a 3.38-acre site belonged to the late Khaw Bian Cheng. Khaw, who had served as the governor of Satun and Yala in Thailand and was the last quasi governor living in Penang, was the centre of Thai influence in the state.
According to Loh, the house was intact but a family battle led to it being sold to a developer who demolished it without a whimper from anyone. He added that plans were also afoot to develop the Tenby School site along Jalan Kelawai which was listed.
“Nobody said anything and these are now the big battles we have to fight,” he added.
Penang local government committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) was still relying on a list of Class 1 and Class 2 heritage buildings which had been compiled even before the Unesco listing.
“I believe when the lists were done, even the owners were not consulted and some of those whose property has been listed as Class 2, which allows for development around the building, are asking for their properties to be reassessed.”
Chow pointed out that even the National Heritage Act stipulated that once a building is classified as heritage, the owner can serve a purchase order on the authorities who had classified the building. If the owner cannot do anything due to the classification, he can demand that the authorities buy the property.
On the Pykett Avenue house referred to by Loh, Chow said the house was not even listed and the only offence committed by the owner was to demolish it without approval from the council.
Chow said plans had been submitted by a developer to build condominiums at the Tenby International School site where one of the buildings was a Class 2 building.
“This will allow the developer to build around the classified building but plans for the project have yet to be approved,” he added.
Development grants
Loh acknowledged that there were efforts by many landlords who see that properties can be developed without having to be demolished.
Some of these efforts are being helped along by grants given out by Khazanah Nasional Sdn Bhd for conservation and restoration works. The grants are managed by Think City Sdn Bhd, of which Loh is also a director.
Think City is a special project vehicle (SPV) established by Khazanah as a 100% subsidiary to implement and manage the George Town Grants Programme (GTGP) with a RM20 million outlay. It has also been entrusted to help in the creation of a Special Area Plan and a heritage management plan for the George Town World Heritage Site.
The GTGP is aimed at creating a culturally vibrant and sustainable city. During the first round of approvals in April this year, Think City gave out 18 grants worth RM1.85 million for 11 physical conservation projects and seven grants for documentation projects related to physical conservation and urban rejuvenation within the George Town Heritage Site.
Of these first round projects, the Carpenters Guild or Lo Pun Hong project has been completed.
The second round of approvals in August saw 10 grants worth RM876,328 being given out, of which six were for physical conservation projects and four were for cultural mapping projects related to physical conservation and urban rejuvenation.
Among the other projects which have also been allocated grants are the restoration of Seven Terraces at Stewart Lane by Baiduri Sdn Bhd (about RM178,000); the publication of a biographical dictionary of Penang mercantile personalities (RM122,000); and documentational work on the Sun Yat Sen Heritage Trail by the Penang Heritage Trust (RM100,000).
“So now, we are in fact spreading the value to everybody, not only people who have money to do new buildings; even those with old buildings can benefit. I don’t care where the money comes from, as long as it goes to heritage,” said Loh, obviously referring to the RM20 million entrusted to Think City from Khazanah Nasional to be distributed .
The subject of funding has been a sore point with the state government which has been hitting out at the federal government for not directly allocating the funds to the state as it did for Malacca, which is jointly listed with Penang. The Malacca state government was allocated RM30 million for its heritage con servation projects.
“This is the first agency worldwide that is giving out grants, not loans, towards heritage conservation to individuals, which I have been advocating for many years,” he said.
Loh said the unique financing system was the only way to kickstart restoration works which are aiding heritage.
“No other country is giving out such grants to individuals using a very transparent system,” he added.
A passion for conservation
ASSOCIATE Professor Laurence Loh, an architect by profession, has spent the past 26 years protecting, conserving, managing and sustaining the cultural heritage of Malaysia.
Trained at the Architectural Association in London, he runs the architectural practices of Laurence Loh Akitek and Arkitek LLA Sdn Bhd. His expertise and contributions in built heritage have been acknowledged nationally and regionally.
Loh is best known for the restoration of the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion in Penang that won the ‘Most Excellent Project’ at the inaugural Unesco Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation 2000.
This was followed by the Unesco Heritage Award of Merit for the restoration of the Cheng Hoon Teng temple in Malacca.
In 2008, his restoration of Stadium Merdeka won the Unesco Award of Excellence, whilst Suffolk House in Penang, the only surviving Anglo-Indian Georgian mansion in Southeast Asia, was accorded the Unesco Award of Distinction. His Lunas Rubber Smokehouse project has been shortlisted for the 2010 Aga Khan Awards.
Loh is also the deputy president of Badan Warisan Malaysia, a trust that provides advisory services and skills training within the whole spectrum of cultural heritage conservation.
He is presently a director of Think City Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Khazanah National Bhd which manages a grants programme for the World Heritage Site of George Town, and the Asian Academy for Cultural Heritage Management.
In parallel with his professional career path, Loh also devotes his time to education.
He currently teaches at the University of Hong Kong and at the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property in Rome.
This article appeared on the Penang Pulse page,The Edge Financial Daily, October 11, 2010.
Set as favorite Bookmark Email This Hits: 160
pykett more mega development
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Wesley Church mulling over developer proposals
GEORGE TOWN: The Wesley Methodist Church, which owns the 4-acre site where the Pykett Methodist Boys’ School sits along Burma Road, is considering several proposals from local and Kuala Lumpur-based property developers that are keen to buy the land at RM300 per sq ft.
StarBiz learnt that a major player in the high-end residential property market has proposed to build a new Pykett Methodist School at the site, including a car park for the school, together with condominiums and retail lots.
Another well-known developer on the island has proposed to build a new Pykett Methodist School at a different site owned by the developer.
“The developer will also build some properties for the Methodist Church so that it can generate long-term revenue. In return, the developer gets to develop certain portions of the land to offset the construction cost of the school and other properties for the land owner. The cost of the school and car park will be used to offset the selling price of the land,” the sources said.
Another developer, which has made a bid to purchase the land, said the price of RM300 per sq ft was on the high side.
“Land in the area is priced around RM200 to RM250 per sq ft. At present, the site is gazetted as institutional land and needs to be converted for other usage. The commercial enhancement value charge, for example, is about 50% of the incremental value of the land, based on the difference between the selling price when it was first valued and what it is worth today. The other factor that needs to be considered is that the developer can apply to build up to 30 units per acre on this site,” the developer said.
When contacted, an Eastern & Oriental Bhd spokesman said that the group had not bid for the land.
Due to the shortage of land on the island, the area around Pykett Methodist Boys’ School has become a popular site for new residential projects.
For example, Mah Sing Group Bhd will be launching Icon Residence early next year, which is located at the crossroads of Burmah Road and Anson Road – a stone’s throw from Pykett Methodist Boys’ School. The condominium project has an estimated gross sales value of over RM200mil.
By The Star (by David
Wesley Church mulling over developer proposals
GEORGE TOWN: The Wesley Methodist Church, which owns the 4-acre site where the Pykett Methodist Boys’ School sits along Burma Road, is considering several proposals from local and Kuala Lumpur-based property developers that are keen to buy the land at RM300 per sq ft.
StarBiz learnt that a major player in the high-end residential property market has proposed to build a new Pykett Methodist School at the site, including a car park for the school, together with condominiums and retail lots.
Another well-known developer on the island has proposed to build a new Pykett Methodist School at a different site owned by the developer.
“The developer will also build some properties for the Methodist Church so that it can generate long-term revenue. In return, the developer gets to develop certain portions of the land to offset the construction cost of the school and other properties for the land owner. The cost of the school and car park will be used to offset the selling price of the land,” the sources said.
Another developer, which has made a bid to purchase the land, said the price of RM300 per sq ft was on the high side.
“Land in the area is priced around RM200 to RM250 per sq ft. At present, the site is gazetted as institutional land and needs to be converted for other usage. The commercial enhancement value charge, for example, is about 50% of the incremental value of the land, based on the difference between the selling price when it was first valued and what it is worth today. The other factor that needs to be considered is that the developer can apply to build up to 30 units per acre on this site,” the developer said.
When contacted, an Eastern & Oriental Bhd spokesman said that the group had not bid for the land.
Due to the shortage of land on the island, the area around Pykett Methodist Boys’ School has become a popular site for new residential projects.
For example, Mah Sing Group Bhd will be launching Icon Residence early next year, which is located at the crossroads of Burmah Road and Anson Road – a stone’s throw from Pykett Methodist Boys’ School. The condominium project has an estimated gross sales value of over RM200mil.
By The Star (by David
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Appeal deadline is today
MPPP promise us that action will be taken against the developer. as a matter of PUBLIC INTEREST as the prices of land increases, the small fines do not work as a deterrent.
We need help from NGO’s and the people of Penang, the last date of filing the appeal to the RM6k fine is MONDAY 31/1/11. What can you do, call
YDP of MPPP 0124849403, 042592111
YB CHOW 042619888
MPPP Legal Counsel Shamiah 0174001183, 042592296
The appeal has to be filed by the DPP a Federal body which is always busy, now can I stress the urgency !!
Attorney General's Chambers
Head of Appellate And Trial Division
Dato' Kamaludin bin Md. Said
03-88722027
kamaludin@agc.gov.my
Personal Assistant
Marsila binti Abdul Samad
03-88722027
marsila@agc.gov.my
Deputy Head of Appellate And Trial Division
Wong Chiang Kiat
03-88722526
ckwong@agc.gov.my
Personal Assistant
Noorhayati binti Hashim
03-88722526
noor_hayati@agc.gov.my
We need help from NGO’s and the people of Penang, the last date of filing the appeal to the RM6k fine is MONDAY 31/1/11. What can you do, call
YDP of MPPP 0124849403, 042592111
YB CHOW 042619888
MPPP Legal Counsel Shamiah 0174001183, 042592296
The appeal has to be filed by the DPP a Federal body which is always busy, now can I stress the urgency !!
Attorney General's Chambers
Head of Appellate And Trial Division
Dato' Kamaludin bin Md. Said
03-88722027
kamaludin@agc.gov.my
Personal Assistant
Marsila binti Abdul Samad
03-88722027
marsila@agc.gov.my
Deputy Head of Appellate And Trial Division
Wong Chiang Kiat
03-88722526
ckwong@agc.gov.my
Personal Assistant
Noorhayati binti Hashim
03-88722526
noor_hayati@agc.gov.my
fine for illegal demolition not a deterrent
Update: The maximum fine under the law for this offence is RM500,000 or two years jail or both. The CM has described the RM6,000 fine imposed as a mere slap on the wrist and has instructed the MPPP to appeal for a heavier sentence.
The firm responsible for demolishing an old double-storey building along Pykett Avenue without local council planning permission was fined a small sum by the magistrate’s court yesterday.
Klassik Tropika Development Sdn Bhd of the Mah Sing Group was fined RM6,000 for the demolition, which took place just days before a scheduled MPPP inspection (probably to assess if the site had any heritage value) in July 2010.
This saga brings back memories of how a RM2 company was fined RM50,000 for the Christmas Day 1993 demolition of the historical Metropole Hotel, a property worth RM9.5 million back then.
Seriously, folks, what is there to stop developers from tearing down buildings like these? The fine is hardly a deterrent as it will very likely be factored into the cost of projects, which may have GDVs running into millions, if not billions of ringgit.
Unless… the MPPP appeals to the High Court and if the MPPP freezes future development of the property. After the demolition in July 2010, the new landowner submitted an application to MPSP in October 2010 to build 315 apartments in four towers. State exco member for Local Government Chow Kon Yeow reportedly said the application has since been frozen.
Keep an eye on Pykett Avenue.
Ong Eu Soon
18 January 2011 at 7.12pm · Reply
RM6000 for heritage conservation, what a joke! No wonder this nation go into the drain.
peter wong
18 January 2011 at 11.04pm · Reply
pursuant to s27 Town &Country Planning Act, local council can direct the landowner to reinstate the building.
YB Chow do u have ***** or are another Koh Tsu Koon haha
nkkhoo
19 January 2011 at 1.46am · Reply
What is big deal to pay another RM6000 for refusing to reinstate the building.
nkkhoo
18 January 2011 at 7.56pm · Reply
There is another case in KL, developer demolished the historic bungalow and paid the peanut fine.
The heritage preservation law should be amended to confiscate the land.
Andrew I
18 January 2011 at 8.09pm · Reply
“This saga brings back memories of how a RM2 company was fined RM50,000 for the Christmas Day 1993 demolition of the historical Metropole Hotel, a property worth RM9.5 million back then.”
You’re not supposed to have such a long memory, Anil. RM6000? If only prices of goods and services could come down as much as this, we’d all be rich.
peter wong
18 January 2011 at 11.01pm · Reply
i thought Metropole fined 5k.
eh they had to rebuild, at least the facade.
Anil
18 January 2011 at 11.36pm · Reply
Ref for the RM50k can be found here:
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/2898
peterwong
19 January 2011 at 5.14am · Reply
Very interesting article.
We have the legislation in place now.
We are a UNESCO Heritage city.
We have DAP as the state government.
CM Lim you have to power now to set it straight for all the developers do not fool with Penang. Please make a difference and do not be bought by them.RULE OF LAW.
Please MPPP to take action and we want a deterrent sentence, we fought and won the PGCC battle, they are building landed properties there now.
THIS IS A ELECTION YEAR
wira
18 January 2011 at 8.27pm · Reply
There is hope yet for the developer and his frozen application.
Bring back BN and all his transgressions can be exonerated.
peter wong
18 January 2011 at 10.59pm · Reply
no way frozen , DAP have no ***** la, like Our old CM haha, developer bought land at 300/ sq ft and just let it seat there.
if this is true, I better sell my Mah Sing shares, the CEO needs to see a shrink haha
kingkong
20 January 2011 at 4.31pm · Reply
Peter
… If U are a shareholder by all means act and bring out the DESTRUCTION of heritage buildings during Mah Sing’s AGM
Peter wong
20 January 2011 at 10.13pm · Reply
too late mate, made a profit and sold my shares already.
Tan sri Leong is not going to care, read their vision and mission statement making money is supreme haha.
Bring back BN 1Malaysia will do good for Penang..
How about a casino license in Pulau Jerjak !!
peterwong
18 January 2011 at 10.29pm · Reply
I will be introducing this to all my developer clients, demolish even the heritage buildings and pay a small fine.
Penang is the way to go.
Those stupid developers like E&O and others who follow guidelines, idiots you are.
Knock it down and thats the way to go
Dr B Nawawi
18 January 2011 at 11.12pm · Reply
anil
please note that what was reported in The Star, there was no mention of an inpection by MPPP, I was at the hearing and MPPP prosector did not bring this up.This is motive, knock it down before inspection, sekali ask us to preserve building how , habis la.
Penang now some more UNESCO….
she also did not ask for a deterrent sentence. MPPP is inviting developers to demolish buildings – so that (MPPP) can collect development charges, which had been recently increased(?)
same same la BN or DAP, for developers mayb BN better because no CAT policy.
ya la lets have Dr Teng back la easier to move things.
nkkhoo
19 January 2011 at 1.58am · Reply
Melaka CM, Mohd Ali Rustam personally went to the field when a shophouse in the heritage zone was demolished illegally by a Singaporean and warned he will freeze the land or may be buy back the land for public purpose.
LGE is hiding in his air-cond office all the time and issues tons of media presses to blame all problems to previous government.
peterwong
19 January 2011 at 11.10am · Reply
CM Lim
WHat you need to do is sort out the mess in town, which is listed as Heritage and which is not. SO many in the fringe areas that need attention.
Freeze PLANNING PERMISSION the only way to go, fines will not be effective because the developer just price in la costs to the ultimate purchaser. Your people.
We welcome you KL developers but dont take advantage of Penang’s generosity.
Penangite
19 January 2011 at 12.21am · Reply
It’s only fair that Mah Sing build back the bungalow at the SAME location.
moo_t
19 January 2011 at 12.47am · Reply
This precedent just show the ultimate One Malaysia goals : it is cheaper to break the law than follow it.
Bare in mind that, this precedent are not just plain bad governing, but also bad for economy! Under Pareto condition, if a society allow selfish business activity continue, it will increase the market transaction cost and eventually everyone will loss.
SamG
19 January 2011 at 10.32am · Reply
The fine was imposed by the Courts (read BN Courts)not MPPP. So MPPP has been asked to appeal.
How can the State Govt be held negligent when such matters are under the jurisdication of MPPP?
You guys have been seeing too much of intereference from BN run Govt so you assume CM LGE can put his fingers anyway in Penang and control the outcome.
It does not work like that in Govt unless its BN run
nkkhoo
19 January 2011 at 12.55pm · Reply
Why the state government interfered MPPP’s decision making on sPICE ? Who is authorized to allocate fund from MPPP for sPICE?
Why LGE instructed MPPP to appeal if that is not his business?
Can you explain your new logic?
peterwong
19 January 2011 at 5.50pm · Reply
S27 of the Town & Country Planning Act empowers the local council to take action against the landowner.
google it people of penang
KhawSimBee Resident
19 January 2011 at 11.12am · Reply
I have been following Mah SIng SHares, why they have not informed BURSA of this charge by MPPP ??
SC should look into this.
C H U N
19 January 2011 at 11.18am · Reply
Carine will GIVE 110 pages and show them what is the Rule of Law.
This case is of Public Interest.
We are concern as all the heritage or non heritage buildings will not be safe.
6000 fine for a GDV 380,000,000 project is definitely not a deterrent.Any fine for developers is not a deterrent.
LGE a deterrent will be to freeze planning permission for 10 years. I am sure, no other developers will dare to flaunt the law ever again.
kee
19 January 2011 at 11.58am · Reply
SamG, you are the sensible one here, the rest are like monyet kena belacan… just jump is what they are good at, in particular, that khoo guy !!!
SunnyOoi
19 January 2011 at 1.10pm · Reply
Becareful of what you say about Khoo. Afterall, he speaks for public fund. Whatever that means.
kee
19 January 2011 at 12.04pm · Reply
Why are the developers so daring? Because they have been under BN for too long, everything can be “kau tim”.
So, vote for BN, all can be kau-kau tim tim !!!
nkkhoo
20 January 2011 at 12.43am · Reply
FYI, Melaka is under BN.
No one dare to dismantle old buildings again after Mohd Ali Rustam warned he will not hesitate to acquire the land for the public facility like building a new museum.
LGE is acting like KTK with inaction against the landlord and adopting pro-developer policy.
More developers will follow Mah Sin to tear down whatever heritage buildings in Georgetown because LGE is a dumb duck CM, nothing to do his is PR or BN chief minister.
kingkong
20 January 2011 at 4.35pm · Reply
Melaka has bankroll of BN money. Penang has none and BN has been throwing oney on leaning Pisa of Monkey Garden. Can you see the difference?
nkkhoo
21 January 2011 at 11.30am · Reply
KTK was BN CM, and still he was indecisive … that kind of character is something to do with the leadership quality.
LGE pro-developer attitude is an open secret, (his administration) betrayed Kampung Buah Pala’s residents in the past.
Acquire the land for public purpose is absolutely legal. I believe those common Penangites with no vested interest in property market will support this extraordinary move to teach errant developer a bitten lesson.
LGE can fork out 50 million for sPICE, why he cannot do the same for acquiring this land?
CPL
19 January 2011 at 12.45pm · Reply
Thanks SamG. At times we tend to hentam without thinking first
If you read Star Metro North on 17 Jan
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2011/1/17/north/7692469&sec=north
I am looking forward to see all the trees grow and make Carnavon Street more shady. But this green project costs RM 101,604 with RM 75,144 from Khazanah’s subsidiary Think City which is part of the RM 20mil from federal government to conserve and revitalise Georgetown in line with its heritage status. According to the report, the RM 75,144 was for the purchase of 60 plants or RM 1,252.40 per plant. I hope this is not true that the trees cost so much.
wira
19 January 2011 at 12.57pm · Reply
Apparently many who commented here did not know that building is outside both the core and buffer zones of the UNESCO heritage site.
It is also not a gazetted heritage building.
The developer destroyed an old building while investigation by MPPP was still on going.
Sadly, the small fine of RM6000 was probably what a magistrate could legally impose today.
So no one should fault the state government or MPPP for the arrogance of the developer as long as the project remains frozen by the authorities.
That is the best they can do under the present circumstance if we want to follow the rule of law.
Anil
19 January 2011 at 4.04pm · Reply
One report said the maximum fine under the law is RM500,000 or two years jail or both.
Wira
19 January 2011 at 4.26pm · Reply
I don’t think a magistrate has the authority to impose such a mammoth fine.
peterwong
19 January 2011 at 5.44pm · Reply
MPPP
Charged them in the wrong court, boo boo galore la, wonder why ??
Under the TCPA max fine 500k and 2 years imprisonment for landowner proceeding with works without planning permission from MPPP.
I stand corrected but I think its section 27, google it.
wira
19 January 2011 at 6.57pm · Reply
MPPP cannot initiate legal proceedings in court.
According to our federal constitution, all legal proceedings of the government (regardless of which) in this country must be undertaken by the AG office.
Please don’t blame MPPP.
I believe they are also frustrated.
Blame Putra Jaya.
nkkhoo
20 January 2011 at 12.47am · Reply
There is another option for state government, acquire the land for public purpose like building a library, a museum, etc. to teach errant developer a hard lesson.
wira
20 January 2011 at 5.09pm · Reply
Acquisition means the state/MPPP must pay to buy the said property from the owner.
The law does not provide for forced acquisition without compensation.
Why reward the belligerent owner with such a relief?
Better freeze approval to develop the land as long as PR is in power.
That is the best punishment.
nkkhoo
21 January 2011 at 11.34am · Reply
Acquisition is alike killing a chicken to scare off other wild monkeys.
No developer wish to lose their land in exchange of market price. They will make 10 times more if the land is developed for housing or business project.
tunglang
19 January 2011 at 3.45pm · Reply
The problem with conservation of heritage buildings in Penang is the classification of buildings and zoning. The Penang Core and Buffer Heritage zones give total protection to classified heritage buildings within the zones. But those in the fringe or even far out from the zones are not protected. Unless it is specifically assigned as a heritage like the P. Ramlee’s House in Jalan P. Ramee which is outside the zones.
Owners of such buildings, heritage or looked like heritage are in a dilemma when it comes to selling them to buyers or developers. Who will guarantee no demolition? At present there is no concrete long term policies or financial incentives for those owning such buildings (within or outside the Core or Buffer Zones) with regards to conservation matters or ownership priorities (local ownership or foreign).
It still looks like the wanton annihilation of the American Indian Reservation during the Wild Wild West. Whoever has the most ‘silver bullets’ (financial clouts) has his cowboy way – shoot (demolish) then talk (kau tim)!
MPPP is the lame Sheriff riding around on a donkey looking for quick draw Sundance Kid from KL!
ES Saw
20 January 2011 at 12.00pm · Reply
Which magistrate decided on this low penalty and on what grounds. There is a strong need for him/her to justify such a decision. It is time our judiciary measure up to the experctations of the people. What does the justice dept. say about such a ruling?
peterwong
27 January 2011 at 8.27am · Reply
Anil
Last night the residence of Pykett, Westland and Khaw Sim Bee area had a dialogue with the state government , lead by Yb CHOW and MPPPs’ personal.
They were kind enough to meet us the rakyat and share what is happening with the abovementioned property.
The stand is clear, the small fine is going to send the wrong message to all developers in town, especially now that we are a UNESCO Heritage city.The developers will demolish buildings without approval and just pay fine. Project reported to be 380 Million. 6k is kacang putih la
MPPP promise us that action will be taken against the developer. as a matter of PUBLIC INTEREST as the prices of land increases, the small fines do not work as a deterrent.
We need help from NGO’s and the people of Penang, the last date of filing the appeal to the RM6k fine is MONDAY 31/1/11. What can you do, call
YDP of MPPP 0124849403, 042592111
YB CHOW
MPPP Legal Counsel Shamiah 0174001183, 042592296
Remind them of the deadline.
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