Penang arches to come tumbling down next week
Published: Aug 7, 2010 10:28 PM | Updated: Aug 7, 2010 10:37 PM
Work to demolish the newly-built arches at the Penang Botanic Gardens will begin next week, said Tourism Minister Dr Ng Yen Yen.
Work to demolish the newly-built arches at the Penang Botanic Gardens will begin next week, said Tourism Minister Dr Ng Yen Yen.
She said the decision to demolish the RM150,000 arches, followed requests from the public and opposition from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) which claimed their construction was not environment-friendly.
"The ministry will first pay RM70,000 for the cost of demolishment before we claim it from the contractor involved," she told reporters after jointly launching the 1 Malaysia Green, 1 Malaysia Clean with the police in Penang today.
The arches are part of a RM7 million project to beautify the gardens.
Ng said her department would refer to a report to be submitted by the state drainage and irrigation department on whether the developer had set up the arches accordingly.
Based on a week-long survey carried out by Universiti Sains Malaysia on the construction of the arch, 71 percent of the 1,225 respondents agreed that it should be demolished.
Ng said the place where the arch was built would be replaced with colourful flowers, adding that the authorities had sought the help of renowned botanist Dr Francis Ng for this purpose.
The arches - part of the gardens’ expansion project - had drawn criticism from NGOs which claimed they marred the natural beauty of the area.
It was reported last May that the ministry had ordered a halt to the construction work of the two arches, following reports that one of them appeared to tilt.
- Bernama
She said the decision to demolish the RM150,000 arches, followed requests from the public and opposition from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) which claimed their construction was not environment-friendly.
"The ministry will first pay RM70,000 for the cost of demolishment before we claim it from the contractor involved," she told reporters after jointly launching the 1 Malaysia Green, 1 Malaysia Clean with the police in Penang today.The arches are part of a RM7 million project to beautify the gardens.
Ng said her department would refer to a report to be submitted by the state drainage and irrigation department on whether the developer had set up the arches accordingly.
Based on a week-long survey carried out by Universiti Sains Malaysia on the construction of the arch, 71 percent of the 1,225 respondents agreed that it should be demolished.
Ng said the place where the arch was built would be replaced with colourful flowers, adding that the authorities had sought the help of renowned botanist Dr Francis Ng for this purpose.
The arches - part of the gardens’ expansion project - had drawn criticism from NGOs which claimed they marred the natural beauty of the area.
It was reported last May that the ministry had ordered a halt to the construction work of the two arches, following reports that one of them appeared to tilt.
- Bernama
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