The Penang Appeals Board has fixed July 18 for the hearing of the case of residents of Sungai Ara who are against the approval of a hillside development project in the area.
Board chairman Datuk Yeo Yang Poh set the date after getting the agreement on the date from the project developer, Sunway City Sdn Bhd, and the counsel for the residents (the apellants).
Datuk Lakhbir Singh Chahl, who represents six of the apellants, said that their grounds for objection to the project included the elevation (the height) at which the development is taking place on the hill.
The other grounds were the interpretation of the term ‘projek istimewa’ (special project category under which the projects were approved by the Penang Municipal Council) and the density of the project (in terms of the number of units per acre).
Three of the appellants who are residents staying near the project site are represented by Y. Yogeswaran.
Sunway City is represented by Christina Siew.
It was reported that on April 8, a group of 200 residents from various housing estates as well as representatives of Sahabat Alam Malaysia staged a protest against the project.
The residents had received a notification from the council’s Planning Department that the project was approved on Feb 21 despite their efforts to raise their concerns with state Town and Country Planning, Housing and Arts Committee chairman Wong Hon Wai and Batu Maung assemblyman Abdul Malik Abul Kassim.
In a report on April 10, Penang MCA secretary Lau Chiek Tuan had said that the protest by the residents against the development proved that the state government had ignored the people’s voice and forsaken their welfare. - By The Star
4 comments
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Dear Penangites/ Sg Ara residents/Nature lovers,
Please support this initiative to support the cause of these groups of residents on the upcoming hill projects.
It may lead to tragedy of similar scale happen to HIGHLAND TOWER in Selangor in 90s.
It can be an unseen “LYNAS” in Penang.
This area is predominantly of main source of human capital for our very own silicon valley (FTZ).
How can the authority put the lives of innocent at risk for the “projek istimewa”. Yes Penang need development not “over-development” that can risk the life and the impact greatly on the nature.
Penang govt still have the chance to revert this decision before the next election.
How about the project near Jalan Bukit Gambier? The Bukit totally botak alreadly. Please look at it also.
The Bukit Gambier condo project is called Nadayu 290. There is another project at higher land near to Bukit Gambier temple on top of Cangkat Bukit Gambier, I heard the developer is building terrace house over there.