GEORGE TOWN, March 6 – The Municipal Council of Penang Island (MBPP) faces criticism over its ongoing ‘publisiti awal’ for Penang’s inaugural Local Plan, with concerns raised regarding procedural flaws and lack of transparency. According to Sec. 12A (a) of the Town & Country Planning Act 1976 (TCPA), the MBPP is mandated to publicize its proposed initiatives for the plan, yet the current process has been deemed deficient and unfair to Penang Islanders. The rushed timeline for public feedback, spanning just five weeks and overlapping major festivals like Thaipusam and Chinese New Year, has drawn accusations of bad faith.
Furthermore, the absence of specific proposals and blueprints from the MBPP has left the public in the dark, unable to adequately visualize the intended developments and provide informed feedback. With the importance of a comprehensive Local Plan paramount for orderly development and quality of life, calls have been made for the MBPP to suspend the current exercise, provide detailed blueprints for public scrutiny, and extend the consultation period to ensure meaningful community engagement.
