1. Background
“CADANGAN MENDIRIKAN 1 BLOK HOTEL (300 BILIK) 12 TINGKAT DENGAN TEMPAT LETAK KERETA DAN PEMULIHARAAN BANGUNAN WARISAN SEDIA-ADA NO. 1 & 2 PENGKALEN WELD, DI ATAS LOT 723, 724, 725, 235, 719 DAN TANAH KERAJAAN (PLOT 1 & 2 YANG TELAH DIBERIMILIK), SEKSYEN 23 GEORGETOWN, PULAU PINANG UNTUK TETUAN BOUSTEAD HOLDINGS BHD” (“the Project”) to comply with the World Heritage Building Height Control of 18 meters within the heritage core zone in Georgetown in consideration of the State Government/MPPP compensating BHB in the form, terms and conditions hereinafter set out.
2. Details of the Project
The Project originally comprised the development of a 12-storey 4-star Hotel with 334 modules or 293 keys and the restoration of a 3-storey Heritage Building at No. 1 & 2 Weld Quay, Penang, on a 1.195 acre site.
Planning approval was obtained from MPPP on 9th April 2007 whilst building plans were approved by MPPP on 15th February 2008.
Works on the Project were halted in 2009 due to conditions imposed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (“UNESCO”) for Georgetown’s World Heritage City status.
3. Salient Terms
i) BHB agrees to submit a revised building plan for the Project for the approval of MPPP which will not exceed the height of 18 meters in consideration of the State Government/MPPP agreeing for BHB to reclaim up to 100 acres or as sufficiently needed to provide for a minimum 50 acres of net saleable development land area along the coastal area off Queensbay on a freehold basis, to be formalized via a Reclamation Agreement.
ii) A signing ceremony was initially planned on 27th June 2011 with Boustead Holdings Berhad (“BHB”) to enter into an Agreement with the State Government and MPPP. In that agreement(strictly without prejudice) BHB has agreed to revise the building plans of their hotel project by reducing from 12 storey to 5 storeys in exchange for compensation in the form of the reclamation project. However the signing ceremony was postponed by the Penang Chief Minister, over the objections of BHB, as he wanted to listen to the Pantai Jerejak Assemblyman YB Sim Tze Sin and the views of the residents in the surrounding affected areas.
DECISIONS
I) After much public consultation, the Penang State Government has taken cognisance of the views of the residents of Putra Marine, Gold Coast and Bay Garden and decided not to pursue the land reclamation at Bayan Bay to BHB. This decision by the Penang state government is also pursuant to the legal notice of defamation sent by BHB to YB Sim over his public remarks in defending the interests of his constituents, which the state government views with displeasure and is a form of pressure exerted on the state government.
II) As the Penang state government only submits to the people of Penang, to pursue the land reclamation deal with BHB under the shadow of the legal notice of defamation sent by BHB to YB Sim is wholly inappropriate. Boustead Holdings Bhd (BHB) will still be required to comply with the World Heritage building height control of 18 meter height within the heritage core zone in George Town. The form of compensation to be paid and whether it should be paid, is still subject to further negotiations with BHB. Boustead Holdings Bhd (BHB) submitted the amended building plan on 21st of June 2011 and to scale down from 12 storeys (300rooms) to 7 storeys (180 rooms).
LIM GUAN ENG
— Mandarin Translation —-
槟州首席部长林冠英于2011年10月17日在光大乔治市发表声明：
1. 背景
我们建议莫实得控股公司（Boustead Holdings Bhd）在设立1幢拥有300间房的12层楼酒店，及停车场，并保护现有海墘路1号、2号古迹建筑、位于洛723、724、235、719及政府地（已有地主的PLOT 1 及PLOT 2）、乔治市Seksyen 23地段（以下简称“工程”），需遵从乔治市世界文化遗产核心区建筑不得超过18公尺高的限制，加上州政府、市政局为赔偿上述投股公司的条款和条件。
2.工程细节
这项工程原本包括12层楼的4星级酒店，拥有334个房或293个酒店房间，并修复海墘路1号及2号一块1.195英亩的三层楼古迹建筑。
槟岛市政局于2007年4月9日发出蓝图准证，2008年2月15日批准建筑图测。
2009年上述工程暂停，因为联合国教育、科学及文化部颁布乔治市为世界文化遗产城。
3. 显著条款
i) 莫实得同意提呈修改过的建筑蓝图给槟岛市政局，那就是建筑物高度不超过18公尺，而州政府及槟岛市政局则在填海协议中同意让莫实得在皇后湾海岸进行填海最多100英亩，或足够提供50英亩可销售发展地，拥有永久地契。
ii) 州政府、槟岛市政局及莫实得三方原订2011年6月27日进行签约仪式。在协议中，莫实得同意检讨他们的酒店建筑图测，从12层楼减至5层楼，以交换填海做为赔偿。但是，首长为了要听取班台惹雅区州议员沈志勤及附近居民的声音，在莫实得的反对下，而展延上述签约仪式。
最终决定
I) 经过公众咨询，槟州政府考虑了Putra Marine, Gold Coast 及Bay Garden居民的意见，决定不再继续让莫实得在峇央湾进行填海。槟州政府做出上述决定，由于莫实得针对沈志勤的言论告他毁谤，而沈志勤只是为了捍卫其选民的利益，州政府对此感到不满，因为这形同向州政府施压。
II) 槟州政府只服从槟州人民的意愿，在莫实得提控沈志勤毁谤后，若我们还继续与莫实得进行填海的谈判是非常不适合的。莫实得仍然必须遵守世界文化遗产核心区建筑的18公尺高的限制。至于赔偿的形式以及要赔什么，那还得看接下来的谈判。莫实得已经在2011年6月21日提呈了修改后的建筑图测，并将12层楼（300间房）的计划，减至7层楼（180间房）。
林冠英