Speaking out for the people is a Wakil Rakyat’s job

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Bukit Relau receives due ‘medical attention’ after ‘Botak Protest’ by Teh Yee Cheu. Pressure by the Tanjong Bunga State Assemblyman resulted in new consultants being engaged by the land owner to restore the illegally cleared hill land.

Pakatan Rakyat Penang is exemplary in its execution of democracy in that elected representatives of the people can speak out without fear or favour with regards to the State Government’s actions or inaction. In all aspect, this professionalism to separate party issues and governance is highly beneficial to all. A yes-man would no sooner prove to be detrimental to both the coalition and the public.

Teh Yee Cheu recently shaved his head bald as a protest against the developers of Bukit Relau to restore the barren hill to its previous condition. Six months earlier, General Accomplishment Sdn. Bhd. was fined RM30,000 under Section 70A (1) of the Street, Drainage and Building Act for carrying out illegal earthworks at the site. Even Karpal Singh, the National Chairman of DAP had sounded out his displeasure over the inappropriate clearing of trees.

It was reported today through Chow Kon Yeow, the State Local Government Committee Chairman that General Accomplishment Sdn. Bhd will engage another consultant to help mitigate the illegal land clearing on the hill.

Widely known as the environmentally friendly State Assemblyman who cycles to work, Teh has always stood his ground to question the government on issues relating to public interest. He represents the Tanjong Bunga constituency.

Batu Uban State Assemblyman supportive of Teh’s actions

Dr. Jayabalan, the State Assemblyman for Batu Uban, where Bukit Relau is located, supported Teh’s protest as a ‘symbolic gesture towards the violation of a pristine environment and the manner in which the destruction has been condoned’.

“Despite promises, the mitigation and restoration process has not yet been carried out.

“I wish to reiterate that I support Teh in his actions and that there will be other measures taken to protest the destruction of the hill,” he said in a text message.

In this particular case, the State Government together with the Department of Environment should have taken the matter further to ensure that the landowners keep their promise to rehabilitate the hill. About six acres of land have been cleared and civil society groups have been vocal towards the paltry sum for such a huge area of deforestation.

Carolyn Khor

Enviromental impact

“Massive erosions are found and siltation has formed in the river nearby”, claimed Teh Yee Cheu.

“With only 9 per cent of forest reserves left, more should be done to conserve the hill and to promote sustainable development,” he added.

When asked why he chose the 1^st of January to shave his head, Teh answered that he hoped to start the New Year with a strong message that ‘green living’ should be a priority for all and that in the public’s interest, the State and Federal agencies should step up their efforts to protect the environment.

“I am the people’s representative and I am just doing my job,” he said.

Teh also mentioned that he had raised the issue during the State Assembly seating in June and December 2013, prior to staging the public protest.

Cleaner Greener Penang

Penang’s famous tagline ‘Cleaner, Greener Penang’ is evident that the Penang State Government is serious about protecting the environment. Many Penangites share the same sentiment towards hill degradation and environment lovers are hopeful that the irresponsible parties are given sufficient pressure to replant the trees.

As Bukit Relau is 250 metres above sea level, it should also be rezoned as hill land and unsuitable for development.

State Environment Committee Chairman, Phee Boon Poh was reported in The Sun Daily today as ‘not wanting to comment further’ as the forestry reports had been released in May last year and that he ‘did not want to run down his DAP comrade’.

Phee Boon Poh is right and courteous about promoting a united front. However, it cannot be denied that Teh’s action had prompted the landowners to take immediate remedial steps to rectify the situation of the bald hill. Overall, the Penang State Government should be applauded for putting the people’s interest first. As any good government should know – it was the People’s Power who put them there in the first place.

Pardon me, can you please apologise again?

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Jahara must be deaf to request a second apology from Lim Guan Eng.

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Far from being satisfied with Penang Chief Minister’s prompt apology for calling Jahara Hamid a grandmother, she is now threatening legal action within a week if Lim Guan Eng did not apologise for a second time. The Telok Ayer Tawar State Assemblyman and Penang Opposition Leader must indeed be hard of hearing to demand a second apology.

Jahara had earlier drawn comparison between two different locations in Penang to support her argument that illegal Malay hawkers were being unfairly treated by the State Government. This would have resulted in instigating racial tension if the matter was not refuted immediately, to which the Chief Minister called Jahara a ‘racist grandmother’.

Telok Ayer Tawar Pakatan Rakyat coordinator, Norhayati Jaafar confirmed that the Malay stalls operating without licenses in Jahara’s constituency especially at Pantai Bersih are still operating their business without interference from the enforcement officers, contrary to what Jahara claimed.

“As far as I know, the Malay hawkers are still conducting their businesses in Telok Ayer Tawar and there are no intentions to do otherwise,” she said.

While Jahara may be crying wolf and entangled in her own web of deception, Penang enforcement officers are mostly caught in between carrying out their duties and appeasing a large number of illegal operators who unabashedly occupy idle land to carry out their businesses.

Tale of a Malay trader at Pantai Jerejak

Juninah and six other Malay hawkers operate without licences by the seaside near Bayan Mutiara in Bayan Baru. The site is now earmarked for land reclamation and the business owners have received notices to clear the area to make way for further development. These business owners have also requested the State Government to relocate them elsewhere.

Maybe the Penang State Government should help look into the problems faced by Malay traders. Tricky problems as such must be dealt with care and caution so as not to be accused as being discriminating against the Malays or being seen as setting precedence by negotiating with illegal traders.

Santai Bahtera, a pretty beachfront café located next to the Penang Island Pulau Jerejak Jetty has an amazing view of the Penang Bridge. To date, the café has permanent structures such as a surau, toilet and water facilities, electricity and even a stage.

“We are just earning a living but the State Government is chasing us away with development,” lamented Juninah.

Juninah had sought help from various authorities but all her cries for help are not being taken seriously.

“We admit we are illegally conducting our business here but we do hope that the State Government will help us by relocating us to another site,” she added, claiming that she recently spent RM140,000 renovating the place.

Apology not good enough

Word is out that Hj. Rashid Hasnon, Deputy Chief Minister 1 for Penang, who is also the State Assemblyman for Pantai Jerejak had given an explanation to Juninah for being unable to help her maintain her business site as the area will soon be condoned off to make way for bicycle tracks and land reclamation. However, efforts are still underway to help Juninah and the others achieve an amicable solution.

Apologies and explanations are always never good enough.

Good governance is all about making the right call at the right time. The State Government has the authority to allow or disallow, make legal or stand firm on matters concerning illegal occupation of idle land.

The only setback is that if any precedence was made, many other instances of illegal traders seeking the same compensation and treatment may be expected in the future or else the State Government may risk being accused as being unfair.

Pardon me, can you please say that again?

Apart from Jahara’s threat to sue the Chief Minister of Penang if Lim Guan Eng did not apologize for a second time within a week, the issue of being called a ‘racist grandmother’ remains firmly wedged as a racial issue – one that is distinguishably ambiguous as enforcement officers are expected to carry out their duties only towards non-Muslims.

Jahara claims that only stalls of a certain race were demolished. Perhaps Jahara can provide a fair solution for all illegal traders and without prejudice too. In any case, if she is only looking after the interest of Malay and Bumiputera traders, then she would have just affirmed and stamped the ‘racist’ label on herself.

As a grandmother of seven grandchildren, there is no reason why she should not be called a grandmother if she was proud to be one at all.

** This is the writer’s personal opinion.

How sexist remarks attract remarkable attention

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A grandmother by any other name is still a grandmother.

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The commotion over the ‘racist grandmother’ remark hurled by the Chief Minister of Penang, Lim Guan Eng during the Penang State Assembly towards the State Opposition Leader, Jahara Hamid drew ire from many people even though an apology was issued soon after.

Gender accusation is highly inappropriate considering many people would have misconstrued Lim’s remark although his timely apology was commendable.

The Chief Minister fell for the oldest trick in the book – succumbing to provocation and unfair accusation from the opposition. On hindsight, if Lim had not been so quick with his tongue and instead retorted in a calm manner, Jahara would have just remained as that, a grandmother.

In all hilarity, the term ‘grandmother’ has never been a derogatory one until now. The word conjures an affectionate portrayal of a woman with wisdom. As such, it would be an oxymoron if ever the phrase ‘Grandma Jahara’ was coined.

Jahara had accused the Penang State Government with practicing double standard in enforcements with illegal stall operators by comparing two totally different locations to support her argument. She would have intentionally caused the issue of enforcement to be a racial one even though there was none.

Calling a spade a spade

A rose by any other name is still a rose. Whether a woman is a grandmother or a spinster, name calling gains attention. This is mainly because people do not like being called names. Even more so, when a woman is reminded of her gender - as if it is something negative - age and marital status aside, she would get upset.

The point in hand here is that language plays an important role in gender equality. The understanding of words relates all the way back to how we were brought up and how society reacts in certain circumstances.

Somehow, a man would not accuse another man of being a racist grandfather or a racist bachelor.

In a world where women have to work doubly hard to achieve what men take for granted, it comes as no surprise that women feel unsettled with phrases in relations to gender connotations.

After all that is being said and done, it may also be constructive if women were able to take a different approach towards gender classifications. So what if we were being called a grandmother? So what if we were being called a spinster?

It takes a lot to get to where these women are today and all that has nothing to do with being either a grandmother or a spinster. If the women truly reveled in being a woman, being branded as one should be taken in a positive manner rather than a negative one.

Triumphantly, it may be that men feel intimidated by the presence of women. Therefore, the overwhelming need to verbalise it in a way to put the women ‘back where they belong’ sometimes come about in the most unexpected manner.

For example, Ridhuan Tee would never comprehend why a woman might choose to be single rather than a couple. He is a blind follower without essential critical thoughts and should be aptly dismissed as a nuisance not worthy of our time.

After all, a sneer should not be mistaken as a sexist remark.

What is a sexist remark?

A sexist remark is when someone refers to another with an offensive word or phrase that belittles or insults the person’s gender. The offensive words may range from vulgar words to descriptive words that refer to a woman’s genitals.  Who could forget the Minister who implied that women ‘leaked’ every month?

In any case, being labelled as a grandmother or spinster is candidly mild and women should not take any further offence. Be proud of being one instead of feeling insulted. That itself will cancel out any contemptuous effort, if any, that was meant as a pot shot to an easily bruised ego – something synonymous to being sensitive and emotional.

Last but not least, being a racist carries no sexist undertone. Jahara remains as one.

** This is the writer’s personal opinion.