GEORGE TOWN: The Penang government has been urged to conduct a public consultation on a development project by Island Hospital at Lebuhraya Peel.
Citizens Awareness Chant Group (CHANT) adviser Yan Lee said this is necessary as the development project, which includes an extension to Island Hospital as well as a hotel, is to be built on state government-owned land that had been leased to Island Hospital.
“This project is going to be on the people’s land. It is important that there is a public consultation so that the people are fully aware of what is going to happen on the land.
“We will not take this further if the state government has a public consultation and discloses everything to the people.
“We are apolitical we just want this to be fair,” he told a press conference at Lebuhraya Peel, here today.
Lee claimed CHANT had also discovered that the Island Hospital had submitted planning permission for a piece of land located at the corner of Peel Avenue and Pierce Road, on which were two double-storey heritage bungalows.
“Island Hospital had filed for planning permission for this area without mentioning what would happen to the buildings.
“As such, we urge the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) to do a heritage impact assessment study.
“They must conduct proper studies such as heritage impact assessment for this building and also a public consultation,” he said.
The two bungalows are believed to be former government quarters, which appear vacant and unoccupied.
Lee said CHANT's experts had confirmed that the two buildings were Category II buildings, which warrant every effort made to preserve them.
“We are sick of all the loopholes and creative nonsense to circumvent the conservation guidelines, such as what was done with a heritage building in Jalan Macalister, which allegedly would be 'uninstalled and re-installed'.
“They are changing guidelines as they go along to benefit the developers,” he said.
Lee also claimed that their research on the shareholders of the hospital revealed that a major shareholder was a company, with most of its accounts based in the Cayman Islands.
“The major shareholder is a private firm with accounts and background all based in the Cayman Islands.
“Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng had made many complaints about companies based in the Cayman Islands, so why is he accepting this company now?