The racial bashing by UMNO-controlled newspapers and media lynching by non-UMNO controlled newspapers against Penang PR state government is contrary to the BN’s call for national unity in 1Malaysia, promoting truthful reporting and freedom of the press. The Penang state government expresses concerns that the continued race-baiting by falsely painting a pro-Chinese Penang PR state government marginalising other racial communities will cause irreparable damage to inter-communal harmony.
For instance, even though UMNO’s lies that the Malay population has been reduced by 18,000 in 2010 has proven to be a pack of lies when the number of Malay registered voters have increased by 35,000 as at end 2011 compared to March 2008, racial-bashing the PR state government using these false fact continues to be highlighted. Similarly the media lynching of the present state government by The Star continued yesterday without assigning any blame to the previous state government for approving development projects above 250 feet.
The PR state government can only cancel these development orders granted by the previous state government if huge compensation sums are paid. Stringent compliance of hillslope safety guidelines designed by independent and credible consultants have been imposed. This is the reason why there are 259 stop-work orders issued by MPPP between 2008-2012 against the 38 stop-work orders issued by MPPP for the previous 4 years under BN.
“Invite” to Datuk Wong Chun Wai
I wish to invite Star Group Chief Editor Datuk Wong Chun Wai either go up Penang Hill or do a hill trek to see for himself whether Penang Hills are dying as claimed by the Star. I am sure we can work out a suitable time for both of us to go up the hills and sort this out in a gentleman fashion instead of Star conducting a media lynching against the Penang PR state government with false headlines of “The Dying Hills”.
Looking at the view from Penang Hill and even going for a hill trek would tell us that nothing could be further from the truth. The reason that the hills in Penang are alive and well is due to PR Penang state government’s adherence to stringent hillslope safety guidelines crafted by Oxford-trained geotechnical engineer Prof Dr Gue See Sew and not allowing approvals of any private development projects above 250 feet.
Penang is the only state in the country that adopts the building line at a height of 250 feet. Isn’t it double-standard for the Star not to mention that other states allows development orders above 250 feet or that the Federal government’s definition of hill is more than 500feet(EPU 2002) which is nearly double Penang’s self-imposed building line?
Even though I am not Penang-born, that does not mean that I have no sense of belonging nor respect the history of the state, as implied by Datuk Wong. Isn’t it double-standard for The Star not to mention that there are many current BN leaders who are also not Penang-born?
Even though rising property prices and affordable housing is the jurisdiction of the Federal government, the Penang state government has allocated RM500 million to build affordable housing. Phase 1 and 2 of our affordable housing schemes aims to put 12,000 units in Batu Kawan and 6,000 units in other parts of Penang, including on the island. Isn’t it double-standards of The Star not to point this out and that Penang is doing what many other BN states fail to do.
As a people-centric government that listens to the people, we have listened to the people who values the safety to their families by strictly imposing a building line at 250 feet which is half of the 500 feet set by the Federal government. Projects carried out above 250 feet are either approved by MPPP before March 2008 or for those after March 2008 consist of “special projects” approved by the previous state government on 13.9.1996 which MPPP can not reject as long as technical requirements are met.
This is why the Sunway City Sungai Ara project was approved by MPPP when all technical requirements are met, even though it was above 250 feet, as it was already approved as a special project on 13.9.1996. As I told the affected residents at a dialogue yesterday, this project has already been referred to the Special Planning Committee chaired by me. The present state government has also given a commitment that so long as there is no change in government, the project will not be allowed to proceed.
—-Mandarin Version—-
槟州首席部长林冠英于2012年6月11日在乔治市发表声明：
现有的250尺以上的斜坡发展计划是槟岛市政局在2008年3月前由批准、或是已于1996年9月13日由前朝政府批准的特别项目，在2008年3月后，符合了所规定的技术规格，因此槟岛市政局不能够拒绝批准的工程。
巫统控制报章的种族煽动和非巫统控制报章针对槟州民联政府所采取的媒体私刑，完全与国阵的口号“一个马来西亚”、真实报道、新闻自由背道而驰。槟州政府关注我们一直被错误描述成亲华人政府、边缘化其它种族社群，这将对各社群间的和谐造成极大的伤害。
例如，就算巫统的谎话（指马来人的人口在2010年减少了1万8000人）已经被拆穿，因为马来选民在2011年比2008年3月增加了3万5000 人，但是，他们依然继续玩弄假新闻、对民联政府穷追猛打。同样地，《星报》对当今政府进行媒体私刑，完全没有怪罪批准海拔250尺以上斜坡发展的前朝政府。
唯一付出巨额赔款，民联州政府才可以取消这些前朝政府批准的发展项目。我们遵守由独立及具公信力顾问所制订的严格斜坡安全指南。这也是为何在2008-2012年前，槟岛市政局共发出259项停工令，而前朝政府执政期间的前四年只发出28项停工令。
邀请《星报》总编辑拿督黄振威来槟
我在邀请《星报》集团总编辑拿督黄振威亲临升旗山观察，升旗山是不是正如《星报》所指的“垂死”。我相信我们两个人可以共同抽出时间，一起上山，以君子姿态解决这项问题，而不是《星报》对槟州民联政府采用媒体私刑、打下如“垂死斜坡”的标题。
从升旗山看去、或走一趟山坡之行就知道什么是真实。槟城的山坡现在还是绿意盎然，正是因为槟州民联政府严格遵守由牛津大学地质工程师Dr Gue See Sew教授所草拟的斜坡安全发展指南，我们未曾批准任何一项高于海拔250尺的发展计划。
槟州是我国唯一禁止高于海拔250尺斜坡发展计划的州属。为何《星报》没有突出其他州属允许高于海拔250尺，或联邦政府的斜坡发展计划定义为500尺（经济发展计划2002年）以上（这是槟州自定义斜坡的两倍）呢？
就算我不是槟城出生，这不代表我就是拿督黄振威所说的“对槟城没有归属感或不尊重槟州历史”。《星报》对于国阵内不是槟城出生的领袖只字不提，这是不是双重标准？
就算地产价格上涨及可负担房屋是联邦政府的管辖范围，槟州政府已经分配了5亿令吉来兴建可负担房屋。我们的第一期及第二期可负担房屋计划在峇都加湾兴建1万2000个单位，在槟州其它地区兴建6000个单位，包括槟岛。《星报》没有报道槟州政府做到而国阵州政府做不到的事，这是不是双重标准？
做为民本政府，我们听人民的话，我们也聆听那些珍惜家人生命的人士，禁止250尺以上的斜坡发展指南，比联邦政府定义的斜坡（500尺）少一半。上述250尺以上的斜坡发展计划是在2008年3月前由槟岛市政局批准、或是在1996年9月13日前朝政府所批准的特别项目，在2008年3月后因符合所规定的技术规格，因此槟岛市政局不能够拒绝的工程。
由于新港双溪威城属于1996 年9月13日所批准的特别工程，因此虽然它在海拔250尺以上，但是只要它符合技术规格，槟岛市政局依然批准这项工程。我也在昨天的对话会中，告知受影响的居民，这项计划已经被带上以他为首的槟州规划委员会。我们也承诺，只要民联仍然执政，我们绝不批准上述计划。
林冠英