22,000 sign petition to Save Penang Hill

GEORGE TOWN (Nov 21) — The Save Penang Hill online petition has garnered more than 22,000 signatures today, within only six days.

The online protest was launched on Nov 15 by Penang Hills Watch (PHW) to protest against the state government’s proposed hotel projects on Penang Hill.

“This means a lot of people are against the proposed hotels on the hill. The state government should cancel it,” PHW coordinator and Penang Forum member Rexy Prakash Chacko said.

At the press conference organised by Penang Forum and Pertubuhan Pelindung Khazanah Alam (PEKA) today, Rexy reminded the state government that a proposed massive development project on Penang Hill was successfully halted 28 years ago through a public campaign.

“We are no less capable of repeating it today,” he was reported saying by The Malay Mail.

He clarified they fully support the repurposing of some of the old government assets through refurbishing, but constructing new hotels would mar the historic recreational site and turn the cultural landscape into a warmer, over-developed and overcrowded resort. 

“Penang Hill had a population of 949 people in 2010 but with these extra hotels, it would mean an extra 500 to 600 overnight guests or about 60% more people which would immensely strain the hill’s limited resources,” he said.

Rexy also cautioned the state authorities that more than 100 landslides had occurred at Penang Hill during the November 2017 storm.

“We are extremely worried that tragic incidents could happen during the construction of the proposed hotels,” he said, further cautioning that the hotel project would be impacted by the extreme weather.

Rexy pointed out that the proposed hotel development is also against the application of the Unesco Man and Biosphere Reserve for Penang Hill.

“The planned hotels border the proposed reserve risking the long-term conservation and preservation of Penang Hill’s unique biodiversity,” he claimed.

On Monday, Penang Hill Corporation (PHC) released a statement saying the proposed 200-room hotel behind the Convalescent Bungalow was a “previous concept proposal” that will be reviewed thoroughly. It also announced that the buildings on the Coolie Line along Strawberry Valley will be refurbished and repurposed instead of building new ones along the slopes.

PHC clarified that it will initiate proposal requests on both the development of Convalescent Bungalow and Coolie Line in the coming months.