sPICE issue gets hotter
Opponents of what is being touted as ‘DAP’s Putrajaya’ are also looking at the possibility of legal action, while BN demands answers from the Penang CM.
The state BN has claimed that is set to be the biggest land scandal in Penang and the sum involved could even reach RM500 million. Based on a population of 700,000 on the island, BN claimed that each islander would end up paying RM697 for the project.
Athai Shankar, Free Malaysia Today
The opposition against the RM300 million subterranean Penang International Convention and Exhibition Center (sPICE) mega project is getting hotter.
Opponents of sPICE, including local community groups, are now exhausting all avenues, even legal recourse.
Bandar Bayan Baru Residents’ Association secretary Chan Kim Beng said his association was contemplating lodging a series of police reports and initiating court action to stop the project.
Describing Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s pet project as a “waste of money”, he said his association was discussing with other community organisations in the neighbourhood to explore all avenues to halt the project.
“If other organisations agree with police reports and court action, we would go ahead,” he told FMT after a joint press conference by residents and Barisan Nasional here.
Today was the first time some 20 local residents had joined forces with the state opposition BN to demand the Pakatan Rakyat state government to drop the project.
BN state working committee chairman Dr Teng Hock Nan indicated that the opposition coalition would back the local residents’ court initiatives to halt the project, touted as DAP’s Putrajaya.
“We are listening to the people’s grouses against the project. Some suggested legal action. BN would give support in all ways to safeguard the people’s interests and rights,” he told reporters.
Among those present were state PPP chief and BN information chief Loga Bala Mohan, state Umno deputy chief Musa Sheikh Fadzir and state BN youth chief Oh Tong Keong.
‘Biggest land scandal’
Under the sPICE pipeline, the 24-acre public recreational and sports centre PISA in Relau would be dismantled and refurbished into an exclusive recreational, an international convention centre, an aquatic centre and a posh hotel.
The state BN has claimed that is set to be the biggest land scandal in Penang and the sum involved could even reach RM500 million.
Based on a population of 700,000 on the island, BN claimed that each islander would end up paying RM697 for the project.
Under the project agreement, a 1,500 housing units leeway would be given to sPICE developer Eco-Meridian Sdn Bhd (EMSB), a subsidiary of SP Setia Bhd, to build any project, anywhere, on the island.
Critics said the developer could sell each unit for more than RM1 million.
EMSB/Setia is also being allowed to build and sell 450 affordable house units priced at RM72,500 and above on a free land and pocket all the proceeds from the sales.
The current multi-storey car park complex sitting on a 3.1 acre would be renovated into an international class hotel.
Local council (MPPP) would lease out the PISA land to EMSB/Setia for 30 years only for RM100 per square feet when the market price was RM300 psq feet, thus saving some RM27 million for the developer.
MPPP is also handing out RM50 million to the developer to carry out the project. The quit, assessment and development charges for the project have all been waived.
