Penang Watch

Press Release(30-07-09)

SOS(Save Ourselves)-a housing rights advocacy group, call upon the Penang State Government to honour its election promise to defend Kampung Buah Pala community from the threat of demolition by a developer, and to start to be accountable to its own action –specifically the action to endorse the land transfer to the new owner within 3 weeks of assuming power in Penang. The later is essential to rescue its own over 1-year old motto of upholding an inspiring CAT-style (Competent, Accountable, Transparent) governance.  Due to the inaction of the State Government so far the Kg Buah Pala residents has been traumatised by a developer’s deadline to vacate their ancestral land by Aug 3rd- the urgency of which has rightly attracted national attention.

`For a winning party to go back on its election promise to a group of voters is a most reprehensible act of betrayal by a political party in a democracy.’ Said SOS spokeperson Ong Boon Keong.`For the voters can only punish the party after a full term ie in 5 years’ time, after suffering the harms from that betrayal. To discourage political parties from treating the voters with such callousness the civil society should speak out against the parties’ appalling disregard for its own credibility and integrity! Such act of betrayal, while common among most political parties-tempted as they are to bank on their new found pool of good will to ride out the backlash, would render consent-based democracy dysfunctional-and thus should be condemned along other breaches of public trust!’ 

`We loud the stand by the Penang Deputy Chief Minister Prof Ramasamy who, while speaking at the Ponggal function at Kg Buah Pala, said that the moment the party start to favour developers over the community who voted the party into office in the first place, the party will head towards its end.’

`The party should not make promises to the developer and the residents over the use of the same piece of land. Such double dealings reflect a total lack of basic integrity by the party. Now both promises are well documented.’ Stated Ong, who goes on to debunk a few misleading defenses by the State Government and their supporters.

`A major defense by the State Government so far is: the land offer was made by the previous government. However there is no denial that the land transfer was endorsed and finalized by the current State Government on Mar 27th- 3 weeks after the new government came into power. The Chief Minister so far has failed to explain himself over such a lapse of judgment on his own part. In addition the Chef Minister himself also holds the land portfolio among the State Government’s Exco’s.’

`An unhelpful part of the argument by the supporters of the State Government is to equate any criticisms against the handling of the Kg Buah Pala issue as acting on behalf of the BN. Such partisan argument seems to assume that the residents facing eviction need to be coached or brainwashed to want to stay on in their ancestral land! This is something totally ludicrous if we compare to other similar demands by existing residents facing development-caused evictions all over the place! Considering that some of these criticisms actually come from the senior ranks of the party eg MP Chong Eng of Bukit Mertajam, the either-you-are-with-us-or-against-us policy seems that much a gag order against its own party leaders and supporters!’

`The current government need to come out with a policy on how to balance development with housing rights as well as the conservation of heritage, to deal adequately with such expected clashes between developers and residents. Such clashed actually happen all over the place, and in all time, in rapidly developing and land-scarce Penang. The eviction in Kg Buah Pala is but a more high profile, `glamourous’ case, among many others which happen relatively quietly all over the frontlines of development. The current government as much as  the previous government need to face the inevitable policy challenge involved, instead of simply pointing fingers at the previous government and their failed policies. In fact copying the failed BN’s policy of mindlessly favouring the developers in the hope of sourcing for campaign fund and boosting economic growth, will be a recipe for unbalanced development and for squandering of voters’ support, no matter how much it seems to be currently. There is no one else other than the government of the day who is duty bound to handle the expected clash in an equitable and humane way, as demanded passionately by the DAP before. Seen in this perspective the persistence of complaints by some quarters that the residents don’t complain enough or equally to the previous government seems like an statement from a time-warp-as though the DAP is not yet settled as the ruling party now!’

`The worst argument from the State government so far is to ask the people if the State Government should pay market price to re-purchase the land given away to the Civil Servants Cooperative. It seems that the State Government try to deflect the entire responsibility to handle the consequences of its own mistake by scaring the people with the colossal financial burden of taking that responsibility. The mistake was not made by the people-why should they –through their taxes that go to the government’s coffer, fund the solution to the mistake made by the top leadership of the State Government? Put simply: why should the people made to bail out the Government over its own blunder? This is unacceptable for PR as much as it is also for BN!’

Another confusing argument from the supporters of the State Government is to claim that the criticisms against the new inexperienced State Government should be held back or risk derailing the democratizing agenda of the Pakatan Rakyat coalition. This is a most misleading argument: the lack of true feedback to the new inexperienced State Governments could prove to be the stronger poison for its possible premature demise, if that come to pass! The BN government itself has long suffered from a chronic lack of accurate feedbacks through the self-censored media and politicized civil service intelligence –this should be among the most valuable lessons which the new ruling parties should learn!’

`SOS propose that to avoid future clashes between developers and residents the State Government should respect the rights to housing by the people-and as an extension to this right, give the first right of refusal to the existing residents to apply for the land occupied by the residents for generations. This is in line with a new State government policy which planned to extend leasehold residential property into freehold lands. To avoid commercial speculation, the land so applied could be zoned as residential usage only. There should be a recognition of the values of old or mature communities in Penang because they are our cultural heritage and cultural capital-both unquantifiable and non-renewable. Socially the neighborliness of such communities also contributes towards social harmony and security-which is sadly lacking in new townships.’

`SOS propose that the only way to correct a mistake is to revert back to the previous status, by invoking the power over land matters which only the State Government has. How to exercise that power will need the most judicious of considerations, to avoid undermining the confidence of genuine developers. The State Government does have tremendous power in land development matters-it should put such power to good use especially when it involve making necessary corrections to a mistake committed. To begin the process the State Government need to come clean on its own mistake.’

SOS was started in 2000 in response to mass evictions which arose from the repeal of Rent Control Act then. Its major focus has been defending the housing rights of the tenants, residents and communities. SOS challenge both the BN and PR to recognize the people’s housing rights by supporting and ratifying the international housing rights provisions as spelled out in United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II). Without spelling out a commitment towards a more humane and sustainable housing policy the competition between the 2 coalitions become a blatant power play, with little relevance to protecting the people’s housing needs or other human rights. The paucity of policy alternatives being advocated or implemented by Pakatan Rakyat will only deflate the public’s expectations of what could come around should the Pakatan Rakyat take over Federal power. 

Enq. Ong Boon Keong (SOS Spokeperson) 013-5900339