The proposal for a tiger park at Relau by Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has attracted considerable attention. But the land owner and the local planning authority, namely the Penang Island municipal Council, does not seem to have much say in the project. Local government with the president as its chief executive officer and chairman of council meetings and councillors as the policymakers.
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thesun 2009-04-07 page11 tiger park - where stands the council
The proposal for a tiger park at Relau by Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has attracted considerable attention. But the land owner and the local planning authority, namely the Penang Island municipal Council, does not seem to have much say in the project. Local government with the president as its chief executive officer and chairman of council meetings and councillors as the policymakers.
The proposal for a tiger park at Relau by Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has attracted considerable attention. But the land owner and the local planning authority, namely the Penang Island municipal Council, does not seem to have much say in the project. Local government with the president as its chief executive officer and chairman of council meetings and councillors as the policymakers.
president as its chief execu- has no power to instruct or it is hard for local council of- tive officer and chairman of decide for the council that ficers to sustain the principle council meetings and coun- its land be used for a tiger of rule of law and a commit- cillors as the policymakers park. ment to good governance. although they do play some It is, of course, not illegal It is also confusing to the executive roles. or wrong for Lim to float the councillors about their roles. Unlike state departments, idea of a tiger park. He has to These, in turn, lead to inef-
stands the council?
such as the State Housing think of new ideas to make fectiveness and inefficiency. Department, MPPP is a Penang attractive and an The problem is that the corporate body that can sue engine of growth. The proper state governments have very and be sued. Its power and step should have been for little to do vis-à-vis the local responsibilities are rather him to com- well defined in the Local Government Act (LGA), municate the proposal to the The chief minister has Town and Country Planning council. limited direct roles in THE proposal for a tiger ment. Was it The idea of a Act (TCPA) and the Street, In the park at Relau by Penang an indication of recreation park Drainage and Building Act spirit of CAT the workings of the council. Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has attracted consider- support? It would be interesting to to compliment the very popular (SDBA) and other laws. The chief minister has – competency, accountability There is no provision for him able attention. So far, public know their views. Municipal Park, limited direct roles in the and transpar- or the state government to reactions, including those of Have the council- formerly known workings of the council. ency – and the Malaysian Conservation lors discussed the as the Youth Park, There is no provision for following the decide on the use of land Alliance for Tigers (Mycat) and Penang branch of the project? Has the council approved was made as far back as the 1970s him or the state government to decide on the use of land spirit of Local Agenda 21, belonging to the council. Malaysian Nature Society, the tiger park? in the Interim belonging to the council. the council have largely been negative. When was the Zoning Plan for However, if MPPP wants to conducts an This is not to add to the decision made? LocalCounsel that area. Indeed, sell any landed properties, it exercise to solicit feedback councils. This is complicated many reasons why a tiger The 16ha by Goh Ban Lee the council has must get the permission of from the people of Penang. by the federal government park is not suitable. It is identified for the already done a the state government. The president and council- taking over functions that to point out that the land tiger park is part reasonably good Under the LGA, the Pen- lors then make the decision. are usually local government owner and the local plan- of more than 40.5ha of hilly job in making part of the ang State Government can The laws provide for a matters. There is a serious ning authority, namely the land owned by MPPP. Except land into the Metropolitan pass policies of a general clear separation of roles and urgent need to rethink Penang Island Municipal for a small piece that was Park. nature which MPPP must between the state and local about the allocations of func- Council (MPPP), does not surrendered by the developer Like all local councils follow. Under the TCPA, the governments. These must be tions among the three tiers of seem to have much say in of a nearby housing scheme, in the country, MPPP is not state planning committee, followed to ensure account- government. the project. the land was bought in the a department of the state chaired by the chief minister, ability. Unfortunately, there MPPP senior officers, late 1990s or early 2000s for government. As has been can also pass town planning has been serious blurring of Dr Goh Ban Lee is a retired including municipal presi- about RM40 million to be stressed many times in this policies which must also be lines between the state gov- academic interested in urban dent Datuk Zainal Rahim turned into a large recreation column, it is a local author- followed by the council. ernments and local councils governance, housing and Seman, were present when park amid hundreds of fruit ity. In other words, it is a However, the state gov- in the country. urban planning. Comments: Lim made the announce- trees and greenery. local government with the ernment or the chief minister Under such circumstance, letters@thesundaily.com.