Penang gov't battles anti-Malay perception

The Penang state government is finally initiating programmes to prove that it is not anti-Malay, nor has it marginalised the community - something that it has been accused of by Umno and certain local NGOs.

Deputy Chief Minister I Mansor Othman (right) said one of the actions taken by his department to challenge that perception is to help organise a Penang Malay convention to address the various problems faced by the rakyat.

Scheduled to be held at the end of October, the event is expected to be attended by the state's leading intellectuals, professionals and Malay NGOs.

Its main focus is to thrash out many issues raised by the Malays.

"It is hoped that from the event, many programmes will be initiated to address the community's problems," Mansor told reporters in Penang.

"A state Muslim foundation will also be launched soon. All these are to prove that the Pakatan government is more serious than the previous administration in fighting for the causes of the rakyat, especially for the Malays and the Muslim community," he added.

Since it seized power from the BN government in 2008, the administration under Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has been constantly bombarded with anti-Malay allegations.

Malay NGOs led by Suara Anak Anak Malaysia and Umno-owned Malay language daily Utusan Malaysia have been in the forefront to criticise the state for various actions, which they deemed not beneficial to the Malay and Muslim community.

The NGOs have also organised many protests in front of Komtar, where the state government offices are located, while Lim has persistently denied that his government had short-changed the Malays.

Rising property prices an issue

Meanwhile, the rising property prices in Penang in the last few years, where locals find it almost impossible to buy their own houses, have become a gnawing issue among the various communities.

This is compounded by the rapid development on the island and mainland, where villagers have been evicted to make way for new townships or housing projects.

DAP Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi has been lamenting on the issue and has initiated a programme to register those in his constituency affected by the housing crisis.

Mansor said he had received many complaints from residents who were slapped with notices from house owners or developers to vacate their homes.

"What is worrying is that more and more complaints are made by all communities, whether they are Malays, Chinese or Indians, although the Malays are the most affected as they often live on land owned by others.

"This is probably due to their lack of concern regarding house ownership, which eventually leads to problems when the actual owners want to reclaim their land for development."

Mansor also urged landowners, developers, the local authority and related government agencies to be sensitive to the issue, which came with a social responsibility that had to be addressed.

 Social implications

On the approval of development plans by the municipal council, Mansor said it must first study the feasibility of the project thoroughly and consider whether the people have the ability to purchase the units. It should also consider other social implications.

He added he was disheartened that while approval to develop the land was given, the issue of evicted villagers was not resolved until the state government was dragged into the problem.

"It's true that if we look at it from the legal aspect, the landowner has the right to his land. But what about the fate of the people who have lived on the land for generations?" Mansor asked.

He urged developers and landowners to first resolve the issue of compensation to the affected villagers and residents before embarking on developing the land.

He told developers not to priotise profits alone as many were merely interested in developing luxury units and have put aside the needs of the lower or middle income groups to own homes.

To address the problem, Mansor said, the village and security committees (JKKK) have been directed to take proactive steps to identify residents who have yet to own houses and to register them with the housing department.