KUALA LUMPUR, June 23 — After Dr Tan Seng Giaw’s Facebook rant, a second DAP lawmaker has publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with the rapid development of Penang’s hillsides.
Tanjung Bungah assemblyman Teh Yee Chau claimed that even his own constituency’s hillsides has been affected by the loss of greenery, local daily News Straits Times reported today.
“Over the past 10 years, the developments are somewhat more aggressive, with more hillslopes and hilly areas being cleared.
“It is true that the Penang government has not touched a single inch of its permanent forest reserve, but what about the other hill-slopes and hilly areas?” he was quoted questioning.
Teh claimed that despite his objection, mass development has been happening in his constituency, and suggested that the Penang government was letting it slide.
“Of course the capitalists, in this case the developers, will go for every opportunity to make money. Only those in power, who have strong willpower, can stop this,” he added.
Kepong MP Dr Tan had posted in Facebook on Sunday that he found the island state to be less green and advised the state to preserve the greenery instead of focusing on development alone.
In response, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng claimed Dr Tan was “incommunicado” since start of the year.
Dr Tan meanwhile denied the allegation, claiming that he was always contactable and clarified that his statement on Penang was merely an observation, not an attack against the island state’s administration.
