iGeorgeTown NetBuzz offers links to items on society, culture and heritage, about George Town and Penang in particular, and Malaysia in general, that are published on the Internet. It is updated daily. Views and opinion expressed in the links are solely those of the authors and/or their respective organisations and do not necessarily represent those of iGeorgeTown. Please contact them directly to comment or interact.

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Revisiting PDC assets may help Penang turn back clock: Does Penang need a new economic plan in the face of job layoffs, an ailing manufacturing sector and reduced tourist arrivals? Multinational and local companies are trimming workers, while several factories have been closed. These are giving most Penangites the shudders. (Business Times, 04.04.09)

CHOK SUAT LING: Pakatan founders on reefs of present realities - PAKATAN Rakyat was assembled with the best of intentions - to govern and right perceived wrongs. Multiracial in composition and idealistic in outlook, it sought to do all that after the watershed general election of March 8. But after riding in on a wave of disenchantment with the Barisan Nasional, Pakatan now appears to be foundering on the reefs of its present realities, especially in the states worst-hit by the political tsunami. (NST Online, 02.04.09)

Working with the Penang govt for change: THE Penang Forum comprises about 150 representatives of NGOs and community groups, as well as individuals who came together in April last year to encourage a constructive partnership between the state government and the people of Penang. The outcome of the forum was the establishment of eleven working groups covering local government, labour, women, persons with disabilities, youth and students, goodwill initiatives, health, environment, the arts, heritage and transport. Each working group has written a report containing a number of recommendations, and these reports have been compiled into the Penang Forum Report. (theSun, 01.04.09)

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Packet One unveils 4G service in Penang: PACKET One Networks (M) Sdn Bhd (P1) yesterday launched its 4G (Fourth Generation) high-speed wireless broadband service in Penang, barely eight months after its launch in Klang Valley in August 2008. P1’s network expansion to Penang and the successful commercial launch of the P1 W1MAX service is in line with the company’s pursuit to hit its targeted 35 per cent nationwide population coverage within 2009. (Business Times, 03.04.09)

Boustead set to sail through: Boustead Holdings Bhd (2771) is confident of maintaining RM1 billion in revenue from its shipping division this year, at a time when most shipbuilders are struggling with low orders amid the weak global economy. The company's shipping division - which is handled by Boustead Heavy Industries Corp Bhd (BHIC) and Boustead Naval Shipyard - is involved in building commercial and naval ships, servicing and repairing ships, among others. So far, the division has an order book of some RM2.3 billion. (Business Times, 01.04.09)

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All Tamil schools in Penang to have own land: MAKKAL Osai reported that Penang is taking the necessary action to ensure that all Tamil schools in the state have their own buildings and that the land is registered under their name. Deputy Chief Minister Prof Dr P. Ramasamy said the state government was willing to allocate land for the Tamil schools and that it would discuss with the Education Ministry the construction of new buildings for the schools. (Star Online, 04.04.09)

RM1.5mil for Tamil schools in Penang: THE Penang Government will distribute RM1.5mil to help 28 Tamil primary schools in Penang. Deputy Chief Minister II Dr P. Ramasamy said the Tamil Education sub-committee formed last May was now completing its evaluation on the status and needs of the schools. (Star Online, 01.04.09)

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Pot Filled with Treasure @ Goh Huat Seng Restaurant: Just mention Goh Huat Seng Restaurant and usually one word come to mind… Steamboat! Having been around for more than 50 years, it is one of the oldest Teochew restaurants in Penang. Situated in the folds of Kimberley Street, many things have changed since the old days but one thing’s for sure… the traditional steamboat still comes lighted up with charcoal. (what2seeonline, 01.04.09)

Penang Hawker Food | Instant Cook Koay Teow Teng @ Kimberley Street: Recently I am so into koay teow teng. My favourite would be the one at Pulau Tikus Market and at Jalan Samak. Both soup base tasted good. This koay teow teng is slighty different from both mentioned above as this is instant cook type. It’s located at Seng Thor Coffee Shop at Kimberley Street. (Allie Food Talk, 01.04.09)

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No double standards by enforcement officers — Penang Municipal Council: PENANG, April 3 — The Penang Municipal Council (MPPP) today denied allegations that its enforcement officers practiced double standards when issuing fines on illegally parked cars. MPPP President Datuk Zainal Rahim Seman said MPPP enforcement officers never practised double standards when dispensing their duties, especially when booking cars parked at non-designated parking lots. (Malaysian Insider)

State keen to hold local govt elections: PENANG is looking into the possibility of hiring a legal firm to seek court opinion on whether the state has the powers to introduce local government elections. State Local Government and Traffic Management Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said the state would also table a resolution calling for local government elections in the coming state assembly sitting. (Star Online, 02.04.09)

MPSP rapped for dirty market: PENANG Deputy Chief Minister II Dr P. Ramasamy called upon the Seberang Prai Municipal Council (MPSP) to monitor the cleanliness of the Taman Chai Leng wet market in Prai, Penang. He chided the council for failing to maintain the cleanliness of the market which also had clogged drains and rubbish strewn around the vicinity. (Star Online, 02.04.09)

Penang CM gets a special adviser: GEORGE TOWN - The Penang government has appointed Julian Candiah as a special adviser to the Chief Minister and deputy general manager I of the Penang Development Corporation (PDC). The appointment came into effect Wednesday. (Star Online, 01.04.09)

Gerakan asks to see results: GEORGE TOWN: Gerakan hopes that the state government's claims that it had succeeded in eradicating hardcore poverty in Penang is not another publicity stunt. State Wanita chief Ng Siew Lai said: "The people want to know how the affected families get the money as well as measures to ascertain if there is no misuse of the funds. (NST Online, 01.04.09)

Double standard claim: Penang Municipal Council enforcement officers should not practise double standards when issuing fines to illegally parked cars, said Penang DAP Action Team chief Tham Weng Fatt. Tham said that he had received more than 30 complaints in the past two months over such incidents at various locations, and tested the theory recently by purposely parking his car illegally in front of a Chinese coffee shop in Macalister Road. (Star Online, 01.04.09)

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A boost for heritage rows: SOME 20 pre-war houses in inner city George Town will be turned into souvenir shops and restaurants as part of Penang’s efforts to highlight the city’s Unesco World Heritage Site listing. State Tourism, Development, Culture, Arts and Heritage Committee chairman Danny Law said a local investor had invested RM20mil in the project which was due to be completed in the middle of the year.(Star Online, 03.04.09)

Call to scale down Penang high-rise projects: FOUR property developers involved in high-rise projects in Penang's heritage zone in George Town have been asked to consider scaling down their projects in a bid to safeguard the state's heritage status. The Penang Heritage Trust (PHT) contends that losing the recognition given by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) on the World Heritage List will likely affect all businesses in the city, including the value of the properties the four developers are hoping to build. (Business Times, 01.04.09)

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JM Land eyes RM250mil sales from new home ownership plan: SUBANG JAYA - IJM Land Bhd hopes its newly launched home ownership package, My Space Plan, will rake in RM200mil to RM250mil sales in three months. Managing director Datuk Soam Heng Choon said the new plan was applicable for the company’s existing and new property projects. (Star Online, 02.04.09)

Umbrella body for apartments: DEVELOPERS of 86 apartments and flats have applied to the Seberang Prai Municipal Council in Penang to form the Joint Management Body (JMB) to streamline the management and maintenance of their buildings. Council president Farizan Darus said the setting up of the JMC was required under the Building and Common Property Act 2007 and Strata Ownership Act. (Star Online, 02.04.09)

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Coping with the job market in Penang: GIVEN the slew of news coming out of Penang on companies cutting jobs and unemployment rising, it may come as a surprise that there are still those who are lucky enough to have found jobs soon after they were laid off. (Star Online, 04.04.09)

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The day three noobies citizen journalists “grilled” the Penang State Government: This is the video we shot at the press conference with the Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng during the declaration that Penang is free of hardcore poverty. (Lilian, 02.04.09)

The media - love it or hate it: UMNO secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, on the party's decision not to issue press tags to six online media organisations to cover the 59th Umno general assembly. (Source: Internet media barred from Umno, The Nut Graph, 24 March 2009) As the general assembly got underway, however, the red-coloured press tags proved to be less crucial than expected, as officials did not check for them, except for certain press conferences. (The Nut Graph, 01.04.09)

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Penang's Pearl Hill: Pearl Hill used to be a very nice place. In the 1980s, I used to drive up the hill to enjoy the scenery. From there, it was possible to take in the whole of Tanjung Tokong and I could see beyond to Gurney Drive and even across the Channel to Butterworth. (Anything Goes, 03.04.09)'

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Guan Eng invites Najib to Penang: PENANG, April 4 — Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng today invited Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to the state to discuss development issues. He said that as a state that contributes 30 per cent to national income, Penang's development should not be neglected but needed to be given focus so that it could continue to generate national wealth and success. (Malaysian Insider)

Dispute among DAP leaders widening: GEORGE TOWN - The tiff between Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's chief of staff Ooi Chuan Aun and state Local Government committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow appears to have widened. This time, Ooi publicly criticised a head of department of the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP). In a statement yesterday, state Gerakan assistant secretary Goh Kheng Sneah said Ooi's outburst that "the head was not doing his job well" was unwarranted. (NST Online, 02.04.09)

Guan Eng slams detractors of state poverty eradication programme: GEORGE TOWN (April 1, 2009) - Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng today slammed detractors of the state government's poverty eradication programme for politicising the issue. “I'd like to know why it is wrong to give money to the poor. Is it right for them to give money to corruption?” he said, referring to Barisan Nasional leaders who had been criticising the state government's recent announcement that it had eradicated poverty in the state. (theSun)

Guan Eng Hopes Najib Will Focus On Inculcating Positive Values: PENANG - Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has expressed the hope that incoming Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak would give emphasis to inculcating positive values in his administration. He said that the principle of truth, justice, freedom, welfare and fear of God should be upheld in administering the country. (Mysinchew, 02.04.09)

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Bridging ties for mutual benefits: PENANG wants to establish closer ties with Narathiwat province in southern Thailand in areas such as trade and tourism. Deputy Chief Minister II Dr P.Ramasamy said other areas of cooperation would be identified in subsequent visits between leaders from both places. (Star Online, 02.04.09)

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Mat Rempit is the problem, is ‘42’ the solution?: PENANG, April 1 – In the 1979 science fiction cult classic "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams, a race of hyper-intelligent beings built a computer named Deep Thought to find the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything, and after seven and a half million years of calculating, found the answer to be 42. In Malaysia, the police thought long and hard about to cope with this menace to mankind known as Mat Rempit, and found the answer to be 42 as well. (Malaysian Insider, 01.04.09)

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End to traffic woes: TWO new flyovers being constructed between the North-South Expressway (NSE) and the Prai Industrial Estate in Penang will help ease traffic flow in the area when they are ready in July State Public Works, Utilities and Transportation Committee chairman Lim Hock Seng said the dual-lane ramps were part of the RM585mil Penang Bridge widening project. (Star Online, 01.04.09)

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Music fest hits sour note: PENANG stands to lose out on tourism revenue and thousands of tourist arrivals following the cancellation of the Penang World Music Festival. State Tourism Development, Culture, Arts and Heritage Committee chairman Danny Law Heng Kiang said it was sad that the festival, which would have been the third, had to be scrapped after the government decided not to allocate funds for it. (Star Online, 01.04.09)

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Penang takes 2 weeks to probe quarry royalty issue: GEORGE TOWN, April 5 – Penang will take two weeks to investigate the under-declaration of royalties from state quarries and a new case of rocks and earth mining, days after chief minister Lim Guan Eng suspended the operations of three sand mining concessions on the mainland. (Malaysian Insider)

Abdullah’s boon to Kepala Batas folk: KEPALA BATAS - Residents from the birthplace of outgoing Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi are grateful to him for transforming the former oil palm and rubber estate into a modern township. Zakaria Salleh, 72, said Abdullah, fondly known as Pak Lah, had the people’s interest at heart, adding that he had not forgotten his roots. (Star Online, 03.04.09)

Robust Development For Penang During Abdullah's Term: PENANG, April 3 (Bernama) - In the past six years, people in Penang have enjoyed an endless stream of development through the implementation of various projects during Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's term as the Prime Minister. The general public as well as politicians are happy and contented with the state of development in Penang during this period and are also hopeful that all projects given the Abdullah administration's nod would see implementation.

Two new senators proposed by DAP: GEORGE TOWN - The Penang state government has proposed DAP National Vice Chairman Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim and Parti Keadilan Rakyat's former Penang Chief Dr Mansor Othman for senatorships. Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the appointment of the two new senators would be to replace the present senators Datuk Omar Faudzar and Datuk Gooi Hoe Hin whose terms expired on May 30. (The Edge Malaysia, 02.04.09)

Quarry probe: ‘Let the people know the findings’: GEORGE TOWN - PKR should let the public know the findings of the panel set up to probe the involvement of two senior party leaders in the cover-up of illegal activities at several quarries in Butterworth. In a statement, Penang Gerakan secretary Ong Thean Lye said the findings should be made public, in line with the Penang state government’s principles of competency, accountability and transparency. (Star Online, 02.04.09)

Pakatan states getting more aid: Yen Yen: KUALA LUMPUR - The poor in Pakatan Rakyat-led states topped the list of those receiving welfare aid from the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, said its minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen. “We are giving more to the Opposition-led states. There is no pilih kasih (favouritism) here and this is shown in our statistics of Projek Cari, a special project launched to reach out to the poor,” said Dr Ng. (Star Online, 01.04.09)

Floodlights repaired, Penang back to City Stadium: GEORGE TOWN - The floodlights have been repaired and Penang will revert to the City Stadium as their home venue for Super League matches. The FA of Penang (FAP) executive director, Datuk Mohd Junid Mohd Noor, said yesterday that the move from the State Stadium in Batu Kawan to the City Stadium would take immediate effect. (Star Online, 03.04.09)

Penang PKR Yet To Receive Report On Corruption Allegation By Amizudin: PENANG, April 1 (Bernama) - The Penang Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) has yet to receive a report on the investigations into alleged corruption involving party members in the state, its chairman Datuk Zahrain Mohamed Hashim said. "The investigation is supposed to be completed this week, but I have yet to receive the report," he told Bernama here today.

We have Hindraf support, claims PKR, MIC: GEORGE TOWN (April 1, 2009) - Both camps in the Bukit Selambau by-election claim to have the support of Hindraf supporters. DAP deputy secretary-general Prof Dr P Ramasamy said large numbers of the movement’s members under the banner of 'Makkal Shakti' are working tirelessly to help PKR candidate S Manikumar win. MIC president Datuk Seri S Samy Velu, meanwhile, said he has established links with Hindraf members over the past nine months to gain the cooperation of the movement. (theSun)

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