GEORGE TOWN: A Penang MCA leader has urged the state government to clarify its development policies for Penang Hill after 15.2ha of private land worth RM32.8mil was put up for sale.
Penang MCA secretary Yeoh Chin Kah said the public had the right to know whether Penang Hill was a protected ecological area or whether private land was subject to a different set of rules.
"The state government must make the rules clear.
"It is vital to clarify zoning, development density, slope risks, environmental requirements and infrastructure capacity for any future projects.
"Once a developer purchases the land, what can and cannot be built?" he asked in a statement on Thursday (Aug 27).
It was reported that 17 freehold parcels spanning 15.2ha near Penang Hill's funicular railway were being offered for sale for RM32.8mil.
Located about 300m above sea level, the parcels have been touted as suitable for low-density hill development, wellness or nature retreats and boutique resorts.
When contacted, Penang Hill Corporation (PHC) general manager Datuk Cheok Lay Leng said any development proposed on the land in future would have to comply with Penang Hill's Special Area Plan (SAP) and undergo scrutiny by relevant authorities.
"This is just a private land sale, not development. Private land sales do not need to go through the authorities for development approval.
"Under the SAP, any development needs to go through the Penang Hill Design Review Panel, comprising experts in heritage, architecture, geotechnical and irrigation matters.
"Then the plans also need to go through the local authorities and various other government agencies," he said.
Cheok said the private plots, some of which had existed since the 1950s, are under the Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve transition area and must fulfil the SAP policies and guidelines.
"From the middle station to below, the Penang Hill area is full of private land, many lots.
"They are under the transition area of the Unesco Biosphere Reserve area," he said.
He said areas below the middle station were within the transition area, where housing and economic activities were permitted, although development remained subject to strict guidelines due to the hilly terrain.
"We are strict on any projects. On Penang Hill, all projects are on existing footprints," he said.
Penang Hill was first discovered in 1788 and designated under Unesco's Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB) in 2021.
