GEORGE TOWN: A briefing on Penang Botanic Gardens today turned into a state government-bashing session after those attending found that a key master plan for the gardens was passed in a hush-hush manner earlier this year.
Activists say the gardens’ Special Area Plan (SAP) — which dictates what can or cannot be built under federal law — was passed in July without going through a public inspection as required.
In August, the state government announced a “central visitor centre”, including a car park complex close to the entrance of the gardens, as part of a larger plan under the SAP.
The plan also covers improvements to over 30 lawns, some of which remained unchanged since the gardens were created in 1884.
Penangites hold the gardens dearly, as thousands visit it on a daily basis to take in the fresh air during their morning jogs, and admire a pristine stream from a waterfall, greenhouses and colourful flower plots.
Recently, news that a ground station will be built at the gardens has caused much concern among residents.
Gardens’ curator Saw Leng Guan was in the line of fire today as he explained to a crowd of 150 the key details in the SAP, followed by tough questions posed by members of the audience.
Saw remained calm throughout, explaining that he was there to merely explain what the SAP was about.
Architect Lim Chong Keat called the SAP a “rojak” document, describing it as a development plan and completely defeating the purpose of SAP being a town-planning document.
He said the SAP must be urgently reviewed by experts, especially qualified, independent town planners.
“The people have the right to ask the Penang government for a meeting to review the whole procedure. Whatever that was put up (in the SAP), must be peer-reviewed by experts.
“You (Saw) are not the real problem. The problem is that you are fronting for an incomplete and useless document called the Gardens’ SAP,” he told Saw.
Lim also gave the Penang government officials a dressing down.
He observed that despite it being an official public briefing, not a single state government official or representative was present at the briefing, save for a Plan Malaysia (the new name for Town and Country Planning Department) officer.
“There are serious governance problems in Penang. How many of the members of the assembly are here or representatives of the exco member here? Where is the exco member in charge of the gardens? Is he here?
“Who else is here from the state government? A public session must be held so that all members of government, including the CM, can listen to public opinion of what is happening.”
Lim also asked for an account of the gardens’ latest budgets, which were not available in the public domain. “In 2015, the gardens received more than RM10 million. What happened between 2015 and now?”
Answering a question on when the SAP was approved, a Plan Malaysia officer in the crowd explained that the plan was created in 2011, with a public inspection held for a month in Jan 2012.
He said the plan was gazetted by the Penang government on July 4 this year. He said the SAP had gone through an amendment once.
Penang Hills Watch coordinator Kam Suan Pheng said since the SAP had gone through an amendment, another public inspection ought to have been held.
“Is it proper to gazette something without getting public comments?” she asked.
Friends of the Penang Botanic Gardens Society rep Liew Kon Wui said Penangites at large were not aware of the SAP being approved in July. They only came to know about it through news reports a month later.
“There is a communication and PR problem between the gardens, state government and the people of Penang.”
Traffic engineer Lim Thean Heng said the building of a cable car station at the gardens would only exacerbate the traffic situation at Jalan Utama-Jalan Kebun Bunga, the main roads leading to the gardens.
He said as a former consultant to the Penang government, he had told officials in a presentation that the increase in traffic is inevitable if the cable car project takes off as more will drive there.
“To make the cable car project commercially sustainable, it must generate the numbers in ridership.
“I say, if you want to have a cable car project, go ahead, but do it elsewhere. Spare the gardens.”
Gardens curator Saw said the cable car project was under the purview of the Penang Hill Corporation as it involves the Penang Hill SAP. - FMT
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