The unmatched high density housing development project proposed for Koay Jetty runs a real danger of turning the area into a horrible ghetto and unavoidably it will also drag down the adjacent, congested Macallum St Ghaut! The 165 units/acre super high dense housing development, which is way over any development control limits by the MPPP, has higher density than even Penang’s worst cramped housing at Rifle Range, which was built in the 1950s ! This is what could unavoidably happen: when the planned 2300 mainly low cost units at Koay Jetty are cramped together, without any precedent, next to the already congested  Macallum St Ghaut housing, which has already 4500 of mainly low cost housings,  the result will quickly degenerate into Penang’s biggest modern ghetto ! It will be a planning nightmare in terms of traffic, parking, security, services, filth, noise and other insoluble slum-like congestion problems. Unfortunately Rifle Range residents had been suffering these problems for decades now! Perhaps no more Penangites should ever be subjected to this fate ! The finding stems from a detailed and widely consulted study into the proposed housing project by housing rights advocacy group SOS!

Pairing high dense developments highly unadvisable !

Ever since the State Government announced its plan to develop the Koay Jetty area, located at the Macallum St Ghaut in George Town inner city, there has been objections to the proposal from various conservation groups, as well as vocal but misguided support for the housing project from residents who are hungry for affordable housings. Little has been discussed about the crucial planning issue of whether the limited land (14 acres) is even suited for any high dense development. In light of the above finding this report will identifies the obvious reasons why the very housing development at Koay Jetty (named Sri Saujana) will be detrimental to the interests of all Penangites. Expectably the finding is also a boost for the conservation cause –both for the heritage Koay Jetty as well as the rare urban Mangrove swamp.

1. Why Macallum St Ghaut residents should oppose the housing project:

Locating a high dense project next to an already dense housing at Macallum St Ghaut the project is certainly a bad and unwelcome idea–it will worsen the already difficult traffic jams and inadequate parking at Macallum St Ghaut housing, and will extend the ghetto situations to Macallum St Ghaut. The last thing residents there would want is another Rifle Range at their foot steps!

Koay Jetty Housing density: 2315 units/14.0 acres = 165.4 units/acre

Rifle Range Flat’s density :  3888 units/41.2 acres = 94.37 units/acre

Macallum St Ghaut density : 4500 units/ 60* acres =  75 units/acre

* author’s estimate –official figure not accesible

Another way to compare :

Rifle Range ( 3888 units / 9 blocks)            = 432 units/block

Koay Jetty Housing ( 2304 units/ 4 blocks)= 576 units/block

Planning problem

Concentrating too many low income groups together will lead to formation of ghettos –where social and environmental problems( thefts, secret societies, illegal businesses, vandalism, lawlessness, decaying services etc)will proliferate and become insoluble in no time. Formation of ghettos, following most prevalent planning wisdom, should be avoided at all costs, for George Town or anywhere else.

Traffic problem

The new housing will share the same overcrowded access road (1 lane) with residents of Lebuh Macallum St Ghaut to access the Jelutong Expressway at probably 2 junctions with traffic lights (need confirmation). Despite the introduction of the Jelutong Expressway which connect to the area only the traffic to go out of town could be improved; but the traffic to go into city will worsen because of increase traffic volume from Koay Jetty’s housing (by about 50%) and that the local traffic has to negotiate through a junction at a main road which is an express way. The Koay Jetty housing and Macallum St Ghaut will experience being cut off from the rest of the city due to the expected heavy traffic along Jelutong Expressway. Pedestrians will be discouraged from crossing the Expressway due to heavy traffic.

Parking problem

With car ownership at an average of 1 car per person Macallum St Ghaut is already experiencing serious parking problems –especially during the pasar malams (twice weekly). Therefore the 1516 parkings bays provided for 2315 units at Koay Jetty, while fulfilling Council requirement,  will prove inadequate. Since the parking at Koay Jetty will mostly be provided at 3  4-storey car parks –they will be avoided by most drivers especially during non-sleeping hours. Limited parking spaces at ground level (742 bays-open parking +ground fl of multi-storey car parks ) will force parking to spill over into Macallum St areas or even to the park and ride area for the future LMT station–adding to an already choking parking problem ! Since there is no time table to bring in the LMT its contribution to ease traffic congestion cannot be concretely discussed here yet.

Property devaluation

The current sea view across the Koay Jetty area from Macallum St Ghaut will be largely blocked off by 3 layers of  over 20 storey Koay Jetty housing blocks –threatening the resale property values at Macallum St Ghaut!

Background to the above irregularities : Approval process of the project is  

          taken away from the MPPP –which process all other development projects,

         to allow it to by-pass standard Council regulations !

a.       It is allowed much higher density than usual –at 165.4 units/acre.

This is scandalous if compared with the MPPP’s limits for housing density : 

      Normal density allowed : 30units/acre

      Development charges paid : up to 60 units/acre

      Exceptional circumstances allowance : 120 units/acre

      The Koay Jetty housing density even overshoot the exceptional limit !

      Such an exceptional privileged arrangement will not attract respect for the

      MPPP as a public approving agency. It is to be noted that a number of State

      Government projects handled by the PDC which by-passed the accumulated

      technical expertise of the MPPP/Local Government, had run aground and are

      still causing tremendous anguish to the purchasers eg the Bayan Bay project.

b.      While in the construction field there has been exceptional humanitarian practice to allow higher densities for LC housing to accommodate the evacuated residents who otherwise could go without any alternative housing, it is still an unusual and irrational practice to locate high dense development so close to another existing high dense housing, and sharing same access roads !

It seems that these special treatments given to this privatized project is only so that profit motive can take over concerns for purchasers’ housing rights, proper project scrutiny and good practices of town planning! Worse: it will condemn the future residents there as well as at the Macallum St Ghauts to live in a ghetto like situation for many decades to come !

1.  Why Penangites should oppose the housing project :

The financing method used cause State Government/the Penang people to lose out SERIOUSLY and NEEDLESSLY through a non-transparent privatization process:

What State Government/Penang people get

Units to be surrendered by developer to State Govt  = 200 free+ discounted units

            Market values                                                             = RM19.94 millions

What State Government/Penang people give

State land surrendered to developer                             = 14 acres

Market values of state land surrendered*                   = RM33.17millions

*without vacant possession

    It can be seen that the State Govt /Penang people lose    =RM13.23 millions

               (RM33.17million -RM19.94million)

      Actually the developer get more : Total sales of units          =RM139.00 millions

      Net proceeds to developer   X30% (conservative estimate)=RM 41.70 millions

      Alternative financing plan 1

      The State Government can just tender off the land to get the cash and then pay

      towards the same units from the developer. Earnings         =RM13.23 millions

                  (RM33.17million -RM19.94million)

      Alternative financing plan 2

      The State Government can tender off the land to get more cash and then build the    

      units elsewhere where land cost is lower. Then the State Governemnt (now the

      developer) earnings

      = RM41.70 millions + difference with land values at new location

      There are many close by lands which are earmarked for low cost development in

      city areas eg Jelutong Expressway -200 acres development areas !

   Comments : If the State Government must develop the Koay Jetty area it is

   clear that they are not proceeding with the best interests of the Government/

   Penang people in mind ie it is not primarily motivated by fulfilling housing

   needs (since the area is not suited to housing) or to clean up the area. The

   current privatization project which was NOT selected from an open tender 

   process seems intended to favour developers who are close to the State

   Government and discriminate against other developers.

   The high earnings by the developer at the expense of the State Government

   suggest possibilities for kick-back to the approving politicians.

        As such the non-transparent project should be rejected or the dubious case  

        be referred to Anti-Corruption Agency for investigation!

2.  Why the local residents should oppose the housing project:

Koay & Peng Aun Jetty residents

If they know the new housing will be of higher density than Rifle Range the residents would reconsider trading their current spacious house- which they share with 140 neighbours, for cramped flats where they will be crowding with 2315 other neighbours on the same land area . It is a ghetto like situation as suffered by Rifle Range residents!

      Actually it can be seen from the lucrative housing projects above that

      the developer can afford to compensate the residents much better than the

      cramped housing offered ! They should be offered the choice to move to

      better locations where there are low cost units available eg nearby Jelutong

      Expressway development area. Above all they should be offered the choice to

      stay on if they wish to, under an alternative plan which accommodate housing

      and conservation needs of the area! If need be the State Government can buy up

      the houses of those who want to leave so as to allow them to buy units wherever

       they wish.

      The MPPP and State Government has obligations to the residents there to do a

      thorough clean up of the area to raise the public sanitary standards to

      the same level as the best in George Town. The shore line can also be beautified

      by paving it into a recreational walking track as well as serving as a pedestrian

      walkway connecting  the Ferry terminal to the Macallum St Ghaut.

      Lebuh Sandiland fire victims

      The same demand for an adequate housing should be considered by the 

      residents from among the Lebuh Sandiland fire victims, some of whom will be

      given compensation units in the Koay Jetty housing.

      They should not press for the sacrifice of their neighbouring communities as a

      way to secure housing for themselves –noting that many neighbours from the

      jetties also donated generously or involved in the donation drives to help the

      Lebuh Sandiland fire victims before.

      Residents of the other 6 jetties

      They should see the encroachment onto the Koay and Peng Aun jetties as the thin

      end of the wedge where they would be victimized as well, though later. If they

      don’t stand up for their fellow jetty neighbours they will regret it when the

      same development arguments are used to get them out of the way! It should be

      clear that the combined jetties enclave can be a more viable conservation project

      than merely a fraction of it. They should be aware of a fact that it is the State

     Government’s rather prejudicial policy to get rid of timber housing within the

      inner city to satisfy a misconceived  anti-timber house aesthetics. All the other

     jetties are seen similarly by this misguided, elitist aesthetics and will attract the

     same fate when the time come !

     The residents should demand from the State Government a decent sea-front

re-development  project -along the line of other beatification projects around town

 eg upper Penang Rd. Only by upgrading the overall housing situations in the sea

 front can the area hope to escape the unavoidable fate of being wiped out by future

developments ! 

3.  Why the Civil Society should oppose the housing project :

Since high dense development is out of the question for the area the civil society groups are right to propose an alternative conservation plan which will conserve the Koay Jetty as well as the Mangrove swamp.

Good reasons to save Koay Jetty :

             1.It is a unique, well documented Chinese Muslim heritage

                The original residents, some of whom still stay on the jetty, can trace their

                ancestors to a Muslim enclave in China where they originated. Even though the

                 current generation are much assimilated by the Chinese culture there are still

                remnants of  their Islamic practices being observed by the Koays staying there.

                In a society where inter-religious understanding often become strained and

                mutual abuses are based on stereotypical affiliations (ie Malay-Muslims,

               Chinese-Buddhist, Indian-Hindu/Sikh) a community whose ancestors were as

                much Chinese as they were Muslims, should be treasured by all communities

                around as a very valuable cultural bridge to breakdown the cultural stereotypes

                in Malaysia.Their heritage should be conserved as a way to value the

                historically close friendship between the communities.

           2. It is part of a surviving working class heritage of early Penang, along

               with the other 8 jetties lining the sea front from the Ferry terminal. 

               Many of the old jetty residents remember their early days as the Weld Quay

               porters, construction labourers as well as charcoal traders. The lack of housing

               forced them to build their homes on the sea.

              The heritage values of the jetties had been recognized by  the zoning of the other

              jetties under conservation zones by the State Government. It should be

              considered as a political or financial expediency that the 2 jetties are not

              included, reflecting a serious flaw in the conservation commitment of the State

              Government, notwithstanding its rhetoric to apply for the prestigious World

             Heritage City status from UNESCO.

              It goes without saying that our conservation targets must not be confined to

              only the gentrified heritage of the rich and powerful in the Colonial period –it

              should, for balance and authenticity, include working class heritage which pay

              homage to the working class who built up the city with their sweat and tears.

         Good reasons to replant Mangrove Swamp at Koay Jetty

          1.As a symbolic effort to conserve the Mangrove swamp around Penang.

              The Koay Jetty Mangrove swamp is a lucky gift to the city in that it is located right in the inner city where urban residents and visitors don’t have to go far to have a close look at it . It is now well acknowledged that Mangrove swamps are great habitats which should be conserved for their many benefits –one of which had been highlighted by the Dec 26^th earth quake cum Tsunami. In view of its well publicized capacity to buffer against the killer waves –without which casualties could go higher in Penang itself, the Malaysian PM was moved to call for the replanting of  damaged Mangrove. Let’s support this very worthy call –even though it has come after at least 2/3 of the Mangrove stock around Penang has been decimated ! The conservation of this rare urban mangrove can be a symbolic, educational and strategic initiative for Mangrove conservation.

2. As an educational nature observatory: George Town is seriously lacking in extended greeneries. Already birds watchers observe increasing migratory birds nesting in the Mangrove swamp since a few years ago. In fact with the advent of modern communication technologies it is possible to install surveillance cameras around the replanted mangrove to bring their images into the living rooms of nature lovers around the world –and attract them to Penang’s rare urban Mangrove! It has potential to become an attractive eco-tourist and educational project.

3. As a recreational green-lung for George Town. Most great cities around the world keep a considerable well treasured green space in its urban centre which otherwise can be golden areas of real estates eg Hyde Park in Sydney and London, Central Park in New York, Bois de Boulogne in Paris etc. George Town should be no exception : the residents need an urban green lung so as to balanced the various suffocating congestions in urban living. The Mangrove swamp at Koay Jetty –if conserved together, will significantly space out the otherwise very crowded developments at Weld Quay and Macallum St Ghaut ! It will be an oasis in a concrete jungle ! A recreational jogging track around the mangrove as well as the rest of the sea front where the 8 heritage jetties are located would be a most welcome, low intrusion alternative development for George Town’s sea front area. The walking track can allow tourists access to the heritage area without introducing extra traffic.

Conclusion : George Town Badly Need to keep Koay Jetty as a low density conservation zone !

Since the high dense housing project at Koay Jetty is a very bad planning idea to start with, and the project financial management is causing unnecessary loses to precious State land, the best solution for the area is to conserve the existing low dense residential arrangement through a beautification plan involving proper cleanup and re-landscaping of the currently badly neglected sea-front. The low dense conservation zone will act very valuably to space out and set back the overcrowding concrete jungles which spring up all around it. If adopted the alternative plan will give substance to the heritage and nature conservation objectives lauded both by the Government and the civil society. The alternative plan restores balance to the various complementary developmental goals –housing, transport and conservation, and avoid condemning the area into a ghetto in time to come. If the conservation proposal is accepted it will mark a beginning of some serious urban greening in Penang !

Update of the Save Koay Jetty Campaign :

28th Nov, 2004, the State Government discretely sent in their workers and chopped down all the mangrove trees there and wiped out the entire bird colony. 

14^th Jan 2005  10 leading NGOs have submitted an alternative constructive proposal encompassing housing, transport, an International Ecological and Heritage Centre that will ensure that the unique Chinese Muslim Koay Jetty and the mangrove, which has some 30 protected species of birds and is a lovely bird nesting place, and home to a wonderful range of sea-life, especially crabs.  `The unique urban, heritage mangrove park is so unique globally that we think it should be protected in a WIN-WIN way.’ Endorsers:

a)      Malaysian Nature Society (MNS)

b)     Penang Heritage Trust (PHT)

c)      Malaysian Travel and Trade Associations (MATTA)

d)     Penang Tourist Guides Associations (PTGA)

e)      Malaysian Chinese Muslim Association (MACMA)

f)       Penang Inshore Fishermens' Welfare Association (PIFWA)

g)      Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM)

h)     Consumer Association of Penang (CAP)

i)       Friends of the Penang Botanic Gardens (FOPBG)

j)       Baiqi Koay Community

It is still in time for YOU to save Koay Jetty !

Forward your objection to to the destructive housing project at Koay jetty to :

Chief Minister of Penang

Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon

Office of the Chief Minister
Level 28, Komtar Tower
10000 Penang
Malaysia
Tel: 60 (4) 650-5112, 262-3366
Fax: 60 (4) 261-3003

E-mail: ktk@sukpp.gov.my

Reference:   1. Proposal by Metrodel Development Sdn Bhd

2.Site plan of the project

3.Planning Department of MPPP

                   4. Press statements by Koay Jetty & Mangrove Preservation Support Group

5. The Endangered Koay Jetty by Baiqi Koay Committee

6. Consultations with various professionals (architects, town planners,

    developer, accountants, lawyers, NGOs, conservationists etc)

8. Websites : www.theworldisround.com; www.koayjetty.tripod.com

By : Ong BK

Languages : Chinese and English versions available

Published by :

SOS Trading PG0069724-D

Address : 8 Lorong Prangin 10100 Penang

Tel/Fax.04-2617585

Email.sos_now@streamyx.com