Penang government presents report card, pledges to continue sustainable agenda and smart state plan
SINCE assuming the state’s top post in 2018, Chow Kon Yeow has continued to pick up from where he left off – to transform Penang into a green and smart state.
That has always been his vision when he was first put in charge of the local government portfolio between 2008 and 2018.
It is of no surprise that his vision statement – Penang2030 – focuses on this aspect, besides family and social development.
When presenting the state government’s four-year manifesto achievements in Komtar, Chow said the Penang government had been focusing on developing the state as a green state since 2008.
“In 2018, the Penang2030 vision was launched for the development of the state,” he said.
On the green theme, he said the state government made it a point that gazetted forest reserves could only be increased and not reduced.
“In 2020, the area of forest reserves was increased by 5.5% to 5,386.77ha.
“Penang is one of the states that does not practise logging its forest reserves.
“The recycling rate is 51.18% while the domestic water tariff rate in Penang is still the lowest in the country,” he said.
Chow (right) and Penang Deputy Minister I Datuk Ahmad Zakiyudin Abdul Rahman with the state government’s four-year manifesto achievements at Komtar in George Town, Penang. — KT GOH/The Star
Another key point under the green theme was a guarantee that there would be no water rationing for the next 10 years.
Chow said the state had planted, since 2018, about 200,000 trees contributed by Penang Island City Council, Seberang Prai City Council and the state Forestry Department.
“We have also replaced 33,774 lampposts with LED lights in Penang.
“The state government is committed to turning Gurney Wharf at the Gurney Promenade into a world-class waterfront area with a recreational park on the sea for public use.
“The sea reclamation project was completed on Oct 15, 2021, whereas the construction projects will begin this year and are expected to be ready by 2025,” he said.
Chow revealed that two projects in the pipeline included the modernisation of solid waste management.
“The Local Government Division under the State Secretary office appointed Syarikat Usains Infotech Sdn Bhd to conduct a solid waste modernisation study this year.
“As for the Jelutong landfill project, an agreement has been signed.
“Studies such as environmental impact assessment (EIA), social impact assessment (SIA), traffic impact assessment (TIA) and a hydraulic study are under way,” he said.
The presentation event was attended by state leaders, industry captains, non-governmental and social organisations.
At a press conference during the event, Chow said most of the items in the works were long-term infrastructure-related projects.
“Despite facing the challenge of Covid-19 pandemic the last two years, Penang continues to show excellence in economic, educational, sports and social development aspects,” he said.
For the theme of a welfare state, he said two of the nine planned programmes overlapped with Federal Government programmes and had to be modified.
“The money allocated has been channelled instead to other welfare programmes in the state.
“For example, the payment for senior citizens has been increased from RM150 to RM200 this year.”
Last year, he said, the Childcare Assistance Scheme involving the provision of a monthly fee discount of RM50 for each child from the B40 group was implemented in addition to the provision of a grant of RM300,000 to upgrade the existing childcare centres and kindergartens, as well as a grant of RM300,000 for the establishment of a new childcare centre.
On housing, Chow said a total of 134,195 units of affordable housing had been completed or were at various stages of construction, as of April 11.
A total of RM34.55mil was spent under the Penang Maximum 80% Housing Maintenance Fund (TPM80PP) from 2018 to March 2022, and another RM86.49mil for the implementation of 5,562 maintenance projects in all eligible public and private housing, he added.
“We also spent RM49mil from 2018 to 2021 for maintenance work on low-cost housing schemes.
“A total of 2,528 housing units were offered through the state government rental house programme or People’s Housing Project in eight housing schemes,” he added.
