BUTTERWORTH: Penangites continue to raise concerns that the proposed undersea tunnel project will have a negative impact on their lives,

During a dialogue with Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, environmental consultant Abdul Wahid Ghazali suggested a risk assessment study for the project, looking into possible effects caused by earthquakes and tremors in the neighbouring region.

“Although Penang is not located within the earthquake ring of fissures, we do get some indirect effects from Sumatran quakes measuring more than 6.0 on the Richter scale.

“Therefore, a detailed geological study should ideally be carried out for the proposed tunnel,” the former Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) Environment Management and Planning Department lecturer said.

Abdul Wahid said whether the project would directly affect fishermen in Gurney Drive and Bagan Ajam could only be known once the tunnel’s exact alignment was identified through a feasibility study.

“At the moment, only the tunnel’s corridors have been identified, and not the entire alignment, so we do not know if would affect any fishing site.

“If both ends of the tunnel affect the mooring of fishing boats, then perhaps appropriate fish landing sites should be rebuilt nearby as replacements,” he said at Dewan Besar Sungai Dua here yesterday.

Local resident Abu Osman Abu Hassan asked if residents living along the coastline in Bagan Ajam would have to make way for the project, to which Lim replied that it would not affect any residential units.

Kepala Batas-born Khairil Irfan Othman, who now works in Kuala Lumpur, called on Lim to ensure property prices in his Penaga hometown would not skyrocket once the tunnel project came up.

“I am sad that my hometown Penaga is still quite backward. And, if the property prices shoot up, the low and mid-income earners here will suffer further,” he said.

Lim replied that the state might introduce an affordable housing scheme in north Seberang Prai, similar to the one in Batu Kawan, south Seberang Prai.

Hooi Peng Kwan, a former hotel chef, asked about the maintenance of the tunnel during and after the 30-year concession period, to which Lim said the concession holder would handle it throughout the concession period, after which, the state would take over.

Another resident, Sree, asked if the Pantai Bersih beach and recreation area in Bagan Ajam would be affected by the tunnel project.

Lim replied that the state would ensure the beach remained a public property and not ‘privatised’ to a third party.

Source: StarProperty.my

Berjaya Condominium, a 26-storey residential tower within bustling township of Bukit Mertajam, Penang. Strategically located with easy access to schools, markets and eateries. Comprises 147 condominium units with size ranging from 1,400 sq.ft. onwards. Each unit comes with at least two parking lots.

Property Project : Berjaya Condominium
Location : Kg. Baru, Bukit Mertajam, Penang
Property Type : Condominium
Tenure : Freehold
Built-up Area: approx. 1,400 sq.ft. onwards
Total Units : 147
Indicative Price: RM 416,000 onwards
Developer : Five Star Contact Contract Sdn. Bhd.
Contact No: 04-537 1002

Location Map:

19 Park Residences @ Gardens Ville, exclusive 3-storey terrace houses within Gardens Ville development by GSD Land. Each unit has a spacious built-up areas ranging from 3,600 sq.ft. onwards. It also shares the same condominium facilities in Gardens Ville.

Project Name : 19 Park Residences @ Gardens Ville
Location : Sungai Ara, Penang
Property Type : 3-storey Terrace
Built-up Area : 3,600 sq.ft. onwards
Land Area: 22′ x 75′ onwards
Total Units: 19
Land Tenure : Freehold
Developer : GSD Land (M) Sdn. Bhd.
Indicative Price : RM1,500,000 onwards

A SIGNATURE campaign to garner residents’ support against the ‘Moulmein Rise’ project in Lengkok Moulmein in Pulau Tikus is gaining steam.

Penang Citizens’ Awareness Chant group said they have received about 300 signatures through their online petition since the campaign started last week.

“Our stand is that the project need to be scrapped or at least reviewed by Penang Municipal Council (MPPP),” said group advisor Yan Lee .

He said they hoped to collect 1,000 signatures in a month.

The ‘Moulmein Rise’ project comprises a 27-storey commercial luxury project in a residential area.

In the petition, the group claimed that MPPP did not take into consideration the livelihood of the Pulau Tikus Market traders, did not find an alternative car park for the public and did not take into account the traffic congestion in the area.

A letter had also been sent to MPPP president Datuk Patahiyah Ismail on the matter but to date, we have not received a reply, said Yan.

“They should reply because this a public interest matter and the residents deserve an answer,” he said.

Yan Lee is worried that the market-goers and traders would not be able to park in the proposed basement car park once the developer passed it to the building management committee upon completion of the project.

“It’s the committee that decides who will run the car park, not the developer.

“They should hand the car park to MPPP. If it’s run by them, the car park fees will be reasonable,” he said.

Chant group also held a protest on March 9 with the Pulau Tikus residents.

For details of the campaign, visit http://www.change.org/petitions/no-moulmein-mppp-and-pggov-stop-this-project.

Source: StarProperty.my

GEORGE TOWN: PENANG-BASED developer Belleview Group is planning to build the largest shopping mall in the northern region in Prai on the mainland.

Its managing director, Datuk Sonny Ho, said the plans were still on the drawing board but construction work is expected to begin year end on a 6ha plot in Jalan Baru.

Without revealing the project’s gross development value (GDV), he said the proposed mall would be even larger than Mid Valley Megamall in Kuala Lumpur.

While Mid Valley measured 1.6 million sq ft (149,000 sq m) in nett space, the new mall in Prai would be some 100,000 sq ft larger, he said.

“This mall will have the biggest cinema complex in the country, offering 20 screens. The cinema operator has already confirmed the number of screens with us.

“The mall will also have the biggest departmental store and hypermarket.

“We are also going to build an ice-skating rink in the building,” he said, at a press conference here recently.

Also present were Belleview sales and marketing general manager Foo Yeok Heong and Belleview group retail and commercial division senior manager Lee Beng Beng.

Belleview is the developer behind the 1st Avenue Mall here and the ongoing Aman Central mall project in Alor Star, which is set to be the largest shopping complex in Kedah’s capital when the RM1 billion GDV project wraps up by Christmas next year.

Aman Central, an eight-storey mid-market mall in Lebuhraya  Darulaman, near the Alor Star Tower, will have 300 retail, food and beverage and family entertainment outlets covering over 760,000 sq ft (70,606 sq m) of space.

Ho said the Parkson Retail Group, Golden Screen Cinemas, Cosmic Bowl, WOW Karaoke Box, Brewball Sports Amusement Cafe and Holiday Planet were among the tenants who had committed to occupy the mall.

Belleview, he said, was also planning to build a new mall in Sungai Petani, Kedah, which would also be the largest shopping complex in the town.

The three  malls in Penang and Kedah are expected to be completed in the next 36 months.

Belleview also held several Chinese New Year launches for its Kulim Techno-City (KTC) Phase 4A2 and Phase 2A that featured semi-detached homes, bungalows and terrace houses; and the 27-storey Moulmein Rise luxury suite and retail gallery project in Pulau Tikus, Penang.

The company also opened its RM5 million branch office and sales gallery in Alor Star.

The sales gallery is exhibiting two show units of its RM200 million Amansuri Residences project, the first luxury condominium in Alor Star, with a floor size starting from 1,248 sq ft (115 sq m) per unit.

Belleview, Ho said, would also launch its RM70 million W Residence bungalow project in the middle of this year and complete its RM600 million All Seasons Park project in Bandar Baru Air Itam (Farlim) by year end.

Source: New Straits Times