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theSun | TUESDAY APRIL 7 2009 11

speak up!

Tiger park – Where


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.

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