GEORGE TOWN: Despite concerns raised, the proposed cable car project is one of numerous development projects included in the Special Area Plan (SAP) for the Penang Botanic Gardens (PBG).
The SAP, which will be subjected to a panel review next month, will serve as a framework for the PBG’s masterplan.
PBG curator Dr Saw Leng Guan, who confirmed the inclusion of the cable car project in the SAP, said a public consultation would be conducted early next year to gather feedback before a final decision was made.
He, however, said that once corporatised, it would be up to the governing body of PBG to decide on the matter.
“The cable car project needs to be further studied...we will gather all the feedback before deciding on the matter,” he said during a visit to PBG this morning.
The state legislative assembly passed the Penang State Park (Botanic) Corporation enactment recently, which paved the way for the corporatisation of PBG.
Numerous quarters have raised concerns over the Penang government’s move to corporatise the 133-year-old PBG. During the tabling of the bill, numerous questions were raised by both the backbenchers and the opposition (Barisan Nasional).
Saw also allayed fears on the possible sale of part of the gardens after the corporatisation, adding that it was not likely to happen.
State Town and Country Planning Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo, who was also present, said that the state would discuss the proposed cable car project later when it was ready to introduce the SAP.
He also assured that the enactment would not only ensure the preservation of the gardens as its sole objective, but also to improve not only the gardens generally, but in particular, the management of the gardens so that it could strive towards inclusion by Unesco as a World Heritage site.
He added that one of the shortcomings before the corporatisation of the gardens was the high turnover of staff, who after a long stint of training and becoming experts in the field, had to be transferred, which resulted in the gardens being stunted where expertise was concerned.
“Hence, this is one of the main reasons for the corporatisation of the gardens so that we can retain the expertise which is needed, not just for the short term, but for the long term to improve, enhance and better the gardens.
“The concerns by several civil society groups are in fact addressed in the legislation, and we will continue to take into consideration the views of all parties.
“It is the Penang government’s utmost priority to protect, preserve and promote the history of the gardens by making it a garden for the people of Penang and the world,” he said.
Legal adviser for the Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) and Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM), R. Meenakshi, had told the New Straits Times that it was vital for the state government to provide more details and make transparent its plans over the corporatisation move.
She said while the gardens could be better maintained, its corporatisation raised questions about the need for the move, top most was whether it would lead to the commercialising of the gardens.
Also deeply worrying, Meenakshi said, was the proposals made in the past for a base station at the gardens for a cable car to Penang Hill.
Reform movement, Aliran, had said it was worried that in the passing of the enactment, there was no mention of the SAP.
The New Straits Times, in its exclusive report in February this year, quoted civil societies as saying that they would launch the “Save Penang Hill 2.0” campaign if the state government went ahead with the proposed cable car project.
Friends of Penang Hill had reminded the administration of how the first series of its “Save Penang Hill” campaign in September 1990 had succeeded in saving one of the last remaining natural sanctuaries on the island from being lost to development.
The proposed cable car project is expected to link Penang Hill, PBG and Teluk Bahang.
At that time, state Public Works, Utilities and Public Transportation Committee chairman Lim Hock Seng had said the Penang government would continue to pursue the cable car project and would not shelve it despite concerns raised by several quarters.