My money and yours...

Today the Penang state government hopes the Cuture, Arts and Heritage Ministry will jelp it cover the cost of compensation if it were to cancel the planning permission earlier given to 4 high-rise hotels within the city centre’s Heritage zone (recently gazetted as UNESCO World Heritage Status) for (1) E&O Hotel at Lebuh Farquhar, (2) Boustead Holdings and (3) Rice Millar Hotel at Weld Quay, and (4) Tanjong Bintang at Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah (read here in theSun, Friday, 21/11/08).

What the fuck?

Is Lim Guan Eng is saying, “please Mr. Minister, scoop all the taxpayers money to cover our asses?”

Some of these were approved long time ago (E&O Hotel applied for Planning approval way back in 1995!), whereas some are still holding a valid Planning Approval.

This could only paint some pictures;

1)    that the previous Penang government was so greedy (they wanted the Unesco World Heritage status, and the Metropolitan city status at the same time) i.e. they were clueless of what they want in the first place

2)    that our government is a cry-baby, and always seek the easy way out to compensate the already financially biased corporate agencies to make more money, rather than chanelling the little money we have more prudently

3)    that the government is all about lack of planning (I am sure application for the Unesco status was mot coincidental)

4)    etc etc

They could have advised the developers to revise their scheme to be more respectful of their new city status. I am sure Hilton in Paris or any other great city was not so gigantic and oblivious, and still provide world-status services.

Perhaps it is already ingrained in us that we have to build the biggest, longest, highest, stupidest structures to get noticed (so we could put those achievements in our own Book of Fame). Maybe in 1998 when we are coming out, but now the world has kown Malaysia, so please…

Boys, just go into the loo and unzip your pants and compare all you want. I for one do not want to pay for some hotels I might not even want to go in the first place, and I worked really hard for my money.

As a professional, I wish to see Penang grow into a great city with all its values, and despite all (physical and architectural) corruption. To those who knows Penang will agree with me that the city has great potentials.

 

done at the sauna

friday, 21 november 208