About a couple of dozen residents turned up outside the front gate of the Penang State Legislative Assembly this morning to call for transparency, accountability and open dialogue over a controversial 11km highway in northern Penang Island.
The so-called ‘North Coast Paired Road’ will hug ecologically sensitive hill slopes along the coast from Tanjung Bungah to Teluk Bahang.
Emerging from the state assembly to receive a memorandum from the residents was an aide to the Penang chief minister.
Also making an appearance was state executive councillor Jagdeep Singh Deo. With hands wide open, he asked the residents to ‘”shoot” their questions at him. He said his office was always open and people should come and meet him personally to discuss the issue.
The residents and activists told him that letters had already been sent.
- Sign up for Aliran's free daily email updates or weekly newsletters or both
- Make a one-off donation to Persatuan Aliran Kesedaran Negara (ALIRAN), Maybank a/c 507246118995 or CIMB a/c 8004240948
- Make a pledge or schedule an auto donation to Aliran every month or every quarter
- Become an Aliran member
To this, Jagdeep said the state received “millions” of letters daily, and people should just come and see him. “I don’t like this (public protest).”
Reflecting on this later, one activist said: “When politicians don’t like it, it means we are doing something right.”
AGENDA RAKYAT - Lima perkara utama
- Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
- Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
- Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
- Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
- Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
