theSun | WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 17 2008 21

MPPP to set up task

force on pressing issues
by Bernard Cheah
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
GEORGE TOWN: The Penang Island
Municipal Council (MPPP) is forming a task
force modelled after the one in Singapore to
review and oversee pressing issues of urban
services, public health and licensing.
Councillor Rizal Faris Mohideen Abdul
Kader said the high-level task force,
comprising councillors, NGO representatives,
academicians and relevant tradesmen, is
expected to be set up during the next council
meeting in January 2009.
He said the task force is necessary in order
to produce a blueprint within six to 12 months,
with long-term policies to reduce bureaucracy
and red tape, while fostering economic
sustainability.
Issues to be tackled include regulations for
festive celebrations, licensing of entertainment
outlets, management of night markets in
housing areas, and placement of billboards and
streamers.
“With limited funding from the federal
government, it will be a challenge to find ways
to leverage the private sector to help with the
blueprint’s implementation,” he said at a press
conference in City Hall on Monday.
Rizal, who is also Penang Malay Chamber
of Commerce president, said the council’s
12-step interview process to vet applications
for vacant hawker lots has now been brought
down to six steps.
The move has reduced the approval period
to only three months, compared with between
six months and two years.
He also noted that out of a total of 1,059
vacant lots on the island, 562 have been taken
up after only 18 interview sessions.
Rizal also said eight food complexes in the
island which have become “white elephants”
have been revived through privatisation.
The privatised complexes include Medan
Bayan in Relau, Kompleks Desa Ria in Sungai
Ara and Taman Lembah Permai in Tanjung
Bungah.
“The companies managing these complexes
will be in charge of upgrading and maintaining
facilities in their respective areas,” he said.
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State rep explains

‘tree-chopping’ move
GEORGE TOWN: Komtar
assemblyman Ng Wei Aik
said trees at the Komtar
Walk public square that
were controversially
reduced to their bare
stumps last week were not
chopped off completely,
but were meant to be
“transplanted” to another
area.
Ng, who is also the
Komtar revitalisation
committee chairman, said
the contractor had “pruned”
the branches and leaves in
order to move the trees and
protect pedestrians from
falling branches.
It was reported that trees
around the Komtar Walk,
believed to be about 30
years old, had been hacked
to just their bare trunks.
The cutting had been
done as part of landscape
redevelopment project to be
completed by mid-January.
The contractor was
appointed by Pacific
Hypermarket and
Departmental Store Sdn Bhd
of The Store Group, Ng said.
“Of the 11 trees, the
authority plans to preserve
two at the original place,
and transplant the other
nine in the surrounding
area,” he said in a
statement.
Ng said the authorities will
plant more trees and shrubs
around the Komtar Walk to
beautify the area.
“The state government
places emphasis on
environmental protection,
and we will not condone
any attempts to hack
down old big trees without
approval,” he said.