AS we come to the end of 2018, we note that Penang environment has gone through annus horribilis two years in a row. Two landslide tragedies took place within the space of one year, resulting in 20 precious lives lost. A measly RM35,000 fine was imposed for 11 lives lost in the BSG Granito landslide. 

No one has yet been held accountable for the MBPP Bukit Kukus Paired Road landslide. The floods of November 2017 were followed by a series of smaller floods, land slips and road slips this year. We are ill-prepared for another major climate event.

The Penang Draft Structure Plan displayed this year is loosening hill development restrictions and showing us a vision of rapacious reclamation with an utter lack of concern for the coastal environment, sustainable fisheries and Life Under Water. 

The Peel Avenue land which could have been used for public purpose has been sold and heritage bungalows demolished. And just this week, the illegal clearing of a football field-sized area of mangroves has been discovered. A 10km Pulau Betong-Teluk Bahang road was announced recently, which will mean the destruction of large areas of mangrove. In light of the recent tsunami tragedies in Indonesia, the present government’s continued disregard for mangrove tsunami barriers seem completely short-sighted. “Botak Hill” is still botak.

Penang’s future is fraught with man-made environmental threats. The Pan-Island Link will severely compromise and/or destroy the two most important parks on Penang island: Sungai Ara Linear Park and Youth Park. The trees along the entire stretch of Persiaran Kuari into Youth Park will likely be cut down for the feeder road. While we are busy planting small trees and saving some grass circles, there is no honest account of all the mature, old growth trees that will be sacrificed for the various components of the proposed PTMP.

Penangites have seen the state’s unrealistic physical development policies that will put undue pressure on our natural environment. We have come to realise that we can no longer rely on politicians to help us with the proliferating environmental issues in the face of over-development, and the State’s lack of understanding on new strategies and new building codes needed to adapt to climate change. Instead we, the people of Penang, need to come together to save our state.

This year alone, petitions to save the hills of Penang, stop hill cutting for housing development, and reject damaging highways, have raised a total of almost 150K signatures.

The petition Floods & Landslide: Stop Hill Cutting for Housing Development received almost 80,000 signatures; Reject Pil/Zenith, 20,000; and Save Penang Hill, almost 45,000.

The proposed highways and expensive LRT would leave our future generations in debt. We want public funds to be spent on repairing our hills and preventing future flooding, so that Penangites will not become the victims of development.

We warn of the dangers of building 70km of new highway (Zenith and SRS Consortium), most of them through parks, established neighbourhoods and environmentally-sensitive areas. Instead, we want a masterplan that will prioritise affordable public transport even if it means introducing traffic restrictions and congestion charges: moving people not cars.

We call upon the people of Penang to wake up and demand development and transport strategies which are not destructive to our environment, and which will not fail our climate commitments or betray the Penang we leave to future generations.

Salam Hijau.

* Khoo Salma Nasution is a historian, heritage activist and George Town native.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.