Category: Development EN

Penang Forum, Consumers Association of Penang and allied civil societies in Penang congratulate YAB Dato Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim on becoming the Prime Minister of Malaysia (PM). So far, the PM has set the tone for his new administration by commendably shunning extravagant spending, especially in his choice of official car, saving the government a large sum of money. He also wants to trim...

“Sit down, open your book, do question number 40”.  Sounds familiar?  This is the problem with our education system. School has been killing creativity ever since it began. Our current education system, which focusses on standardization, disregards that we are all unique and different. There is little or no assistance to find passions and interests. There is no room to find what children...

Can you walk with your children – without gripping their hands and anxiously eyeing traffic – and feel comfortable and relaxed? If you can’t, then something isn’t right with the design. With so many busy roads and highways around, parents today have massively restricted children’s freedom to protect their kids’ safety. Good child-friendly urban planning and design shape cities so...

We welcome the MBPP’s announcement that the Penang Island Draft Local Plan will be on display and for review from members of the public for 2 months from 14 October to 13 December. Public Participation in connection with the Draft Local Plan is provided for under the Town and Country Planning 1976 (Act 172), Section 13. In 2001, the TCPA was amended to include section 12A which requires...

 The Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) calls upon the government to urgently establish a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to investigate the Ministry of Defence (MOD) arms procurement scandals stretching over a period of 40 years. The RCI should make recommendations for effective governance and oversight mechanisms to eliminate corruption and abuse of power in the Ministry and related...

Public spaces are an important asset to our cities. Here’s why. Public space is essential for life. With the majority of the world’s populations living in metropolitan areas, public space is a key factor for well-being and health. Public space contributes to children’s development, community life, reduces stress levels and improves mental health and well-being. Yet public space is a key...

 The Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) welcomes the Penang state government’s efforts to provide housing at an affordable price for Penangites. A recent news article stated that the Penang Development Corporation’s (PDC) latest affordable housing project in Batu Kawan called Suria 2 would begin at the end of this year and that Suria 1 had already been completed. The Suria affordable...

The Consumers Association of Penang is extremely concerned over the announcement by Senior Minister of International Trade and Industry (MITI) Mohamed Azmin Ali that Malaysia will join a new economic agreement led by the United States. The Biden Administration has announced its proposed Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) during President Joe Biden’s recent trip to Japan. It is reported...

During US President Joe Biden’s recent trip to Japan, the White House had announced some of the countries that will be participating in his proposed Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) discussions launched on 23 May. They include the US, Australia, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Others may...