GEORGE TOWN: Is there a possibility of more of Penang’s hilltop land being sold for development?
A Proclamation of Sale advertisement, posted recently in an English business daily about the sale of a piece of land in Jalan Bukit Gambir via an upcoming public auction, appears to suggest so.
The piece of land is located in Mukim 13 of the island’s northeast district, behind Malaysian Institute of Pharmaceuticals and Nutraceuticals, which is accessible from Jalan Bukit Gambir.
According to the advertisement, the land is 58,626.8029sq m in size with a freehold tenure.
The land use category, however, was stated as “none” in the advertisement.
The reserve price of the land is RM35 million and interested bidders may pay 10 per cent of the value as a deposit prior to the auction being held on Wednesday.
Prospective bidders were advised to inspect the property and seek independent legal advice on the Condition of Sale.
They were also told to conduct an official title search at the Land Registry and make enquiries with the authorities on the status of the land and particulars prior to the auction.
The announcement did not go down well with Sahabat Alam Malaysia president Meenakshi Raman, who said there should not be any major development or even clearing on the land as it was subject to the Land Conservation Act 1960.
She expressed concern that the land could suffer the same fate as that in Sungai Ara, where it was purchased by a private developer and had its status changed, allowing it to be cleared for development.
“It is even mentioned in the state’s Structure Plan 2020 that such land should be protected. There should not be any degazettement.
“We wonder what will happen there and what kind of development will take place. One thing for sure is that there should not be any clearing on that land, which could impact the environment,” she said.
Hill-clearing activities on Penang island had made the news following expressions of outrage by conservationists.
In 2013, controversy broke out over hill-clearing efforts on Bukit Relau, where its bare earth patches could even be seen from the Penang Bridge.
Residents took the landowner to court while the state government adopted measures to restore its condition.
Recently, an English daily reported of land clearing to facilitate illegal quarry activities in Teluk Bahang.
The Penang Island City Council is taking legal action against the quarry operator.