From padi fields to industrial zone

NOBODY would have imagined that Bayan Lepas – which is now full of factories, houses and shopping centres — used to be the rice bowl of Penang, just one big padi field stretching as far as the eye can see.

These padi fields used to be on both sides of the main road, and the network of irrigation canals provided youngsters like us plenty of opportunities to fish and catch frogs.

The fish were not for the dinner table, but were mainly common guppies and the occasional fighting fish, which found their way into our home aquariums.

Back then, a number of pre-war bunkers could be seen scattered among the padi fields. There is one remaining along the road in Relau now, not far from the Bayan Lepas main road, but most people pass it by without knowing it is there.

In Batu Maung, where a war museum has been set up, visitors can now see the underground tunnels, ammunition bunkers and ventilation shafts set up by the British army in their futile attempt to fight the Japanese invaders.

For older Penangites who remember Bayan Lepas as an isolated rural setting, its transformation into a major urban hub, starting with the setting up of the Free Trade Zone, must have been quite phenomenal.

How it looked: In January 1997, the new road near Bayan Baru and Gold Coast which linked to the coastal road from Batu Maung to Penang Bridge was being built.

As a child, I always looked forward to my trips to the Bayan Lepas airport to see a relative off. Those were the days when you could still see the passengers up close from the viewing gallery as they walked towards the planes.

Other than that, Bayan Lepas was not really a place a city boy like me would head to — it was simply a faraway place as far as we were concerned.

But I still recalled those days when we would be put onto chartered buses for the traditional round-the-island trip as part of the year-end programmes.

Bayan Lepas, Relau and Balik Pulau — regarded as spots on the other side of the island — were usually compulsory stops along the way.

The 163-year-old Snake Temple was of course one of the main attractions as was the Tunku Abdul Rahman Aquarium, located at the Fisheries Department off Jalan Gelugor. In fact, Jalan Akuarium remains as testimony to the existence of the first public aquarium in the country.

While the Snake Temple remains a major tourist attraction, the aquarium in that locality has since been closed down and the National Aquarium at Zoo Negara now bears the same name in honour of the country’s first Prime Minister.

Point of arrival: The Penang Airport in its early days.

Another aquarium, the Penang Aquarium, has since been set up in Batu Maung by the Fisheries Department as part of its research centre and is drawing visitors as well.

According to reports, the name Bayan Lepas means “the parakeet has flown away.”

The folklore has it that a wealthy Sumatran family had arrived by boat at the coast of Bayan Lepas in the late 19th century and as they reached the shore, their pet parakeet flew off.

Another story has it that Bayan Lepas was named after Raja Bayan or Nakhoda Bayan, said to be a prince from Minangkabau.

He was said to have settled in Penang in the 1700s, when Penang was still part of Kedah, and that he was appointed to be a headman by the Sultan of Kedah.

But there was one man who changed the entire face of Bayan Lepas. After Gerakan, then an opposition party, swept into power in the 1969 general election, Chief Minister Dr Lim Chong Eu rolled out his economic plans.

Treasures of the sea: A large crowd gathering in front of the largest tank at the Penang Fisheries Research Institute Aquarium in Batu Maung.

He created the Bayan Lepas Free Trade Zone to enable foreign investors to open factories, mostly assembly plants, in Penang, to resolve the high unemployment rate in the state.

With attractive options, including pioneer tax status, multinational electronic giants descended on the island, paving the way for Penang to be known as the Silicon Valley of the East.

It would not be wrong to say that Dr Lim’s masterplan of turning the padi fields into one big industrial area helped propel Penang’s economy, especially after its free port status had been taken away.

The Free Trade Zone created thousands of job opportunities for people from all walks of life.

But some things will never change. Just a little distance from the Penang International Airport is the old town of Bayan Lepas.

Pre-war houses still line both sides of the main road while the police station and market, built in 1930, have remained.

Each time I return to Penang, I would make an effort to eat at the Cargas Café, which serves one of the best nasi campur Melayu on the island. The fried chicken and sting ray curry – the signature dishes of the restaurant – are simply delicious.

The seafood porridge in Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah is also a local favourite.

Many people, including Penangites themselves, now see Bayan Lepas as a thriving township starting from Queensbay Mall.

But right at the other end of Bayan Lepas is where the old world charm has remained at the Bayan Lepas old town.

Time seemed to have stood still here. And that, in a way, is what makes Penang uniquely special with its blend of new and old world charms.

For sure, there are still some things about Bayan Lepas that have notterlepas, or disappeared. - The Star

Penang Transport Master Plan unveiled

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang state government has outlined its short and long-term plans to provide an efficient and comprehensive transport system in the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP).

State Government and Traffic Management Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said traffic congestion was one of the main problems affecting Penangites and there was a need to find solutions to alleviate the problem.

“The PTMP is conceived at a cost of RM3.2mil to improve the traffic system so that public transportation will be the people’s main choice while travelling.

“The state also aims to achieve a 40% public transportation usage by the year 2030,” he said at the official launch of the master plan at Komtar yesterday.

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng expressed hope that the recommendations in the master plan would be implemented successfully with the full cooperation of the Federal Government in terms of fund allocation.

“A solid transport and traffic management system could be one of the factors that attract investments and we hope that it will help spur the economic growth in the state,” said Lim.

The 100-page master plan is divided into three phases of implementation.

The short-term implementation will start from this year until 2015, the mid-term phase from 2015 till 2020 while the long-term plans will continue from 2020 to 2030.

Among the short term plans are road and traffic lights upgrades, better traffic enforcement, the introduction of bus lanes in strategic areas as well as to create a network of free shuttle services in certain areas.

It also detailed the proposed improvements for both the highway and public transportation networks in the state.

The public can obtain a copy of the master plan for RM30 at the local government office on Level 56 in Komtar during office hours. - The Star

Retiree issued legal notice Landowner wants to evict 65-year-old

AFTER residing for over 45 years in Jelutong, Penang, retired salesman Chan Chin Hock, 65, and his family are now facing eviction by a developer who is also the landowner.

Chan said he was slapped with a legal letter on the matter by the developer to attend court on Thursday.

“My family just want a fair compensation, like a house for a house. The people here are not rich, and my family were offered only RM30,000 as compensation,” he added.

His family was among 88 squatter families affected by the development.

Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi told a press conference recently that 58 families had been issued legal notices on separately dates to attend court.

“I have arranged for a lawyer to defend them. Up to now, three have not received the notices, 10 decided to engage their own lawyers and one decided to vacate after accepting compensation,” he added.

The remaining 16 have decided to accept the compensation quantum.

Ooi claimed that the developer had disregarded the law by demolishing some of the squatters’ houses without prior approval from the Penang Municipal Council (MPPP).

“The mess from the demolished squatters was also left uncleared, posing danger to the residents living nearby,” he said.

Council officers from the Town and Country Planning Department and Health Department were present to conduct investigation into the matter.

Water samples from several sites in the area were also taken to check if the area was a mosquito breeding ground.

A representative of the developer declined to comment when asked about the issue. - The Star

Busy transportation hub

BAGAN is the unofficial Malay name of Butterworth in Penang. It means ‘jetty’.

Butterworth is the main town of Seberang Prai named after William John Butterworth, Governor of the Straits Settlements (1983-1855).

According to Wikipedia, the town was established in the mid-19th century as a landing place across the channel from George Town.

The town used to house many government offices but some of the offices were shifted to Kepala Batas, Seberang Jaya and Bukit Mertajam in the 1990s.

Butterworth is a major transportation hub in the state for railway and bus routes. The railway station, bus terminal and ferry terminal are all located within walking distance from each other.

Jalan Raja Uda is a food and shopping district famed for its hawker stalls, food courts and restaurants lining the streets.

Religious processions such as the Nine Emperor Gods Festival and the Chinese New Year Cultural Festival are held here annually.

This busy street is also popular for its night market and Apollo Market, which operates in the morning.

The North Butterworth Container Terminal, which is the main cargo hub of Penang, is sited in Butterworth.

So is the Sultan Abdul Halim Ferry Terminal where one can board the ferry to Penang island.

The 14km Butterworth Outer Ring Road is a boon to motorists as it reduces travelling time.

Now the attention in Butterworth is on the RM2.7bil Penang Sentral Project, which was launched in 2007 by former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

It was reported that the project is scheduled to take off this year. The 9.6ha project will include integrate rail, ferry, monorail and land transport modes.

Bagan has seen housing projects mushrooming all over with new townships.

Purchasing officer A.J. Selvanathan, 48, said he was born in Sungai Puyu and the place was ideal for him.

He lamented that development had been too rapid in the area.

He said: “There used to be padi fields several decades ago.

“But for the last 10 to 15 years, Sungai Puyu has been turned into a residential area due to its proximity to the Penang Bridge and North-South Expressway.”

Although the town was ideal for those seeking a quiet life, residents had to be alert because of crime problems.

“I used to live in Kampung Manggis but I moved to the nearby Taman Selayang Indah last year after my house was broken into twice. It is quite common,” he claimed.

The father-of-three, who spoke fondly of his hometown, said he wished development could be more balanced.

“I’m not against development. Although there are many housing projects here, we don’t have a shopping mall, cinema or food places. Come nightfall, the town is dead.

“We also lack a secondary school. The nearest one is in Bagan Ajam about 30 minutes away,” he said.

He also remarked that property prices had skyrocketed over the couple of years.

Welder Safian Mamat, 45, from Kampung Benggali in Sungai Puyu, said he reminisced the time where children get to play at nearby padi fields.

“Now, there is only one padi field left. In the past, there were lots of coconut trees. During my time, we used to catch fish in the padi fields.

“It’s a pity that we don’t have the kampung environment anymore due to the rapid pace of development,” he added.

“I hope the authorities will provide more facilities for the public such as a park or football field,” he said.

Gardener M. Saravanan, 45, who lives in Kampung Ujong, Bagan Dalam, said the authorities should build affordable housing for the people there.

He said many of them stayed in wooden houses built on government or private land.

“The houses are in bad condition and are a fire hazard. There have been cases when the fire in one house had spread to neighbouring houses,” he said.

He said the more efforts should be taken to develop Bagan Dalam.

“It is good to have a Tamil school since the area has a sizable Indian population,” he said.

In Bagan Jermal, Chan Hang Lim, 64, who runs a magazine, newspapers and stationery shop in Raja Uda, said the area was previously dotted with vegetable farms.

“Over the past 20 years, commercial and housing projects have replaced the farms.

“As there are a lot of houses, many hawker stalls have came up in the area,” he said.

Chan, who has stayed there for over 50 years, said the roads in Raja Uda were choked up during peak periods.

A logistics company executive Teoh Mei Ping, 39, said the Seberang Prai Municipal Council needed to widen the roads there.

“The council should build a multi-storey car park in Bagan Jermal to overcome shortage of parking bays,” the mother of two said.

Teoh added that food stalls along the roadside should be relocated to a food complex. - The Star

Penang received RM5.4bil last year, says state investment body

GEORGE TOWN: Penang’s drop in investment figures was mainly caused by two principal factors, one of which being the global slowdown in the electronics industry, says investPenang director Datuk Lee Kah Choon.

“The other is that Mida’s investment figures for 2012 did not include the RM2.9bil recorded by the Northern Corridor Investment Authority (NCIA),” he pointed out.

He said whilst there was a drop in investments, Penang’s investment figure was actually RM5.4bil if NCIA’s contribution of RM2.9bil in 2012 had been factored in.

“However, investPenang continues to be optimistic that the state will remain on top of the list of favoured investment locations following the success of getting branded names like Bose to set up their first Asian plant in Penang last year.”

Lee said the top two investments in Malaysia last year were in chemicals (oil and gas) and transport equipment (automotive), making up 37.4% of the total investments in Malaysia.

“Penang’s strength is not in this area,” he said. “That explains why Penang has dropped significantly in terms of ranking in 2012.”

Lee said that the state Government concurred with Mida to actively look into developing more of the domestic investments.

“Investment in services, which take up half of Penang’s economy such as logistics, tourism and heritage, has not been captured by the investment numbers,” he said.

He also said investPenang’s performance over the past five years beginning 2008 amounted to RM36.1bil as compared to RM18.7bil for the previous five years. - The Star

李家全：“投资槟城”表现杰出 5年取得361亿投资额

(槟城24日讯)槟州首长投资顾问及投资槟城董事拿督李家全指出，“投资槟城”过去2008年至2012年5年内共取得总投资额361亿令吉比2003年至2007年的187亿令吉表现更加杰出。
他说，“投资槟城”有信心槟城仍旧是投资者首选的地点。虽然槟城的投资额根据大马投资与发展机构(MIDA)的数据从2011年的91亿令吉掉落到2012年的25亿令吉。但槟城投资额滑落主要是因为两项核心因素。
第一，全球电子工业产能衰退大大影响了作为世界电子工业重镇的槟城。第二，大马投资与发展机构(MIDA)并没有将29亿令吉的“北马经济走廊”计划的投资份额列入，若把“北马经济走廊”计划所取得的投资额列入，槟城2012年的实际投资额应该是54亿令吉。
槟城能续成为首选地点
“无 论如何“投资槟城”对槟城能继续成为首选投资地点抱持乐观的态度，因为去年槟城成功吸引了世界著名的高阶音响厂商首度在亚洲设立其生产线。我们强调我们的 投资者取向，注重在能专注在研究发展及服务业的高科技、高价值及知识型公司。然而，我们了解这不能带来立竿见影的效应，但它的确能凭着高质量的投资，减少 依赖低廉的外国客工之余，在长期来说能提供更多的高收入工作给马来西亚人。” - 光华

老街场商店须让路 峇六拜要建高架天桥

（槟岛西南区23日讯）峇六拜及公巴区人民引颈长盼的提升道路工程终于迎来喜讯，峇六拜狭窄的老街场将获得中央政府斥资3亿9000万令吉，加宽至4条车道，以缓解进入堵塞瓶颈的交通，居民更可以摆脱逾10多年的塞车痛苦。

哈出指出，除了将峇六拜老街从来往方向只有2条车道，提升至共4条车道，使当地交通更流畅外，在靠近峇都茅、峇东及公巴交界处的附近大街来往方向将兴建一条长3公里的高架天桥，届时该区居民能使用高架天桥，直达峇六拜的槟城国际机场。

他说，这新开辟的高架天桥令人期待，而这项工程属于第二阶段，届时将惠及从公巴、峇都茅及峇东交界欲前往峇六拜国际机场者，不需要再等候红绿灯，以高架天桥取代即可来往国际机场，非常便利及省时间。

公共工程局下月招标　料6月将开始动工

槟州公共工程局（道路）主任哈山接受《光华日报》访问时指出，公共工程局将在下个月公开招标，预计此项提升道路工程将在今年6月开始动工，需要约两年的时间才能完工。- 光华

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Boustead Hotels and Resorts invests RM60mil in Penang hotel

PETALING JAYA: Boustead Hotels and Resorts Sdn Bhd has invested about RM60mil in its latest Royale Bintang hotel in Penang.

“We are hoping the hotel in Penang would be completed by early November, and another hotel in Cherating, Pahang, be completed in two years' time,” Boustead Hotels and Resorts director of operations Datuk Mokhtar Khir said. The four-star Penang hotel will have 180 rooms.

Of the five hotels currently in the stable of the company, a subsidiary ofBoustead Holdings Bhd, all but one are four star The Royale Bintang Kuala Lumpur, The Royale Bintang The Curve, The Royale Bintang Resort and Spa Seremban and The Royale Bintang Damansara. It also owns and operates the five-star The Royale Chulan Kuala Lumpur and manages The Royale Aryani Resort in Terengganu.

Although the expansion of its hotel chain augurs well for the company, it faces a shortage of workers.

Yesterday, Boustead Hotels and Resorts and UNITAR International University signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the latter's undergraduates and graduates to be integrated into the hospitality sector.

Mokhtar said “we hope that through the MoU, it would somehow fill this gap”.

“We also want to train graduates to be future managers of the hotels,” he added.

The MoU aims to provide a platform for both organisations to collaborate on the establisment of a career framework for industrial training for permanent employment opportunities for UNITAR students at Boustead Hotels and Resorts.

UNITAR Capital Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Wan Ahmad Saifuddin Wan Ahmad Radzi said the MoU was the third inked by the university after Maxis Bhd and Themed Attractions and Resorts Sdn Bhd last year. UNITAR Capital is the operator of UNITAR.

Asked if he saw more collaborations this year, Ahmad said he was hoping to seal several partnerships.

“Right now, we have two partnerships in the pipeline with the IT hardware and IT infrastructure industries,” he said.

The MoU with Boustead Hotels and Resorts is for a three-year period, but Ahmad said both parties were hoping it would extended for a longer term.

The first intake is expected by June this year and would involve at least 15 students in a three to six-month internship.

“We are responding to changing curriculum needs by providing quality access to industry.

“We want to bring the industry into the classroom and the classroom to the industry,” he explained. - The Star

Klang Valley office stock reaches historic milestone

A FLURRY of activity in the Klang Valley office market, in terms of completed stock and take-up, was noted by Jones Lang Wootton (JLW) at the end of 2012.

According to JLW's David Jarnell, senior vice president and head of research, “the Klang Valley's office market supply (prime and secondary stock) has registered an historic milestone by surpassing 100 million sq ft.

In Q4'12, seven office buildings in the Golden Triangle, the decentralised area, KL Sentral in Bangsar Pantai, Petaling Jaya and Putrajaya, totaling 2.23 million sq ft, were issued with certificates of completion and compliance and the office stock accumulated to 100.694 million sq ft.”

JLW defines office stock as purpose built self contained buildings which are generally above five storeys. Federal and state government office complexes, which are solely used by the Government and older buildings where part of the space has been sold on strata are excluded from JLW's monitored stock.

Malathi Thevendran, executive director of JLW, attributes the strong supply growth to steady and sustainable economic growth and a vastly growing services sector, integrated mixed use developments and the improvement in public transportation.

JLW monitors many office locations and the highest supply growth is the Bangsar/Pantai locality which experienced a compounded annual supply growth of 29% (1998 2012) primarily contributed by the continuing KL Sentral development in which Malathi has been involved since the master planning stage in 1995.

Menara CIMB, which is managed by JLW was completed in Q1'13 and 1 Sentrum, for which JLW is the exclusive leasing agent, will be completed later in the year, are two prime office buildings adding to KL Sentral's office stock in 2013.

In 1998, the Klang Valley's office stock was approximately 50 million sq ft and over the past fourteen years, this has grown significantly. David comments, “the stock has grown at an average of 3.62 million sq ftper annum since 1998”. Driven by strong demand, mainly from Malaysian companies and international companies already represented in Malaysia, take-up of office space in 2012 totaled 3.26 million sq ft (61% above the net average take-up over the past fourteen years of 2.03 million sq ft per annum).

Interestingly, comparing the Klang Valley with other metropolitan areas in the South-East Asian region, it has the largest office stock. Greater Bangkok has approximately 87.85 million sq ft with a similar amount of central business district accommodation at 45.42 million sq ft compared with the Klang Valley's 45.73 million sq ft.

The third largest office stock in the region is the Special Capital region of Jakarta, which has 65.66 million sq ft of offices, 47.36 million sq ft of which is in the CBD. Primarily constrained by land availability, Singapore has an office stock slightly less than Jakarta at 64.01 million sq ft.

Over the next three years (2013 2015), the Klang Valley office market will expand significantly with a vast incoming supply. If projects are completed on schedule, 17.97 million sq ft could be delivered into the market over the next three years.

On a regional basis, this three year supply pipeline is only surpassed by the Special Capital region of Jakarta, which is estimated at a huge 31.2 million sq ft. Strong demand from business expansions in the banking, insurance, oil and gas and the mining and natural resources business sectors is driving construction activity. Metro Manila, in the Philippines, has the third largest three year pipeline at 16.05 million sq ftall of which is Grade A accommodation.

There is just over 21 million sq ft of vacant office space, a considerable amount even though the market continues to show good take-up. Secondary accommodation is generally quite stable in terms of stock and average occupancy rate but the newer Prime Grade A buildings, even in the more established commercial locations, are placing downward pressure on the average occupancy rate.

David points out that some landlords of the newer buildings, which are competing for occupiers are offering more incentives such as longer rent free periods to secure tenants. He believes however that “rental rates for Prime Grade A buildings with good occupancy will be stable in 2013, particularly for those which are both green building and MSC Cybercentre certified and benefit from being in highly accessible locations”.

David reckons better monitoring of developers' intentions by a regulatory body to govern and direct future supply would help to ease the growing competition between landlords.

Malathi concurs “developers of office buildings should also be fully aware of what they could be up against and act prudently at the master planning stage, particularly the large scale projects which will need to be phased over many years before they are fully built out”.

David also adds that “KL is vying to become an international financial centre supported by the Government's Economic Transformation Programme and brand new infrastructure including rail networks such as Greater KL's Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) and the announcement of the KL-Singapore high speed rail link.”

He anticipates that the proposed High Speed Rail link between KL and Singapore will have a positive impact on the movement of people, which will help to spur Malaysia's tourism, business and trade sectors.

The property sector would also benefit from more international demand (especially from Singapore) due to KL's enhanced accessibility.

In the office market, for example, more foreign companies will consider locating their businesses in KL due to the relatively low costs of operation and better opportunities to attract a wider range of workforce.

Thus the Klang Valley will continue to be a key target for both Malaysian and foreign investors and our team of professionals is in a position to help our clients take advantage of the tremendous investment opportunities which are available.”

David Jarnell is the senior vice-president and head of research in Jones Lang Wootton and Malathi Thevendran is executive director - The Star