The Penang State Government and Penang Chinese Clan Council Penang is organizing a grand event to usher the Year of the Dragon.

The highlight of the programs include the following:

1) 6 “ Chinese Traditional Livelihood Zone” , “Clan Area”, “Chinese Native Area” featuring Chinese virtue, traditional Chinese cuisine, Dragon calligraphy , photo exhibition, 12 Lunar seasonal festivals exhibition, other traditional Chinese cultural exhibition, performances and demonstrations.

2) Down Memory Lane with traditional games, handicraft trails, traditional Chinese cultural dance, opera shows, lion dance, Wushu performance at Khoo Kongsi, Cheah Kongsi, Lim Kongsi, Yap Kongsi and Penang Youth Centre.

3) Local Penang delights and hotel food stalls decoration.
The organizers would like to invite everyone to participate in this exciting event.

Event: Chinese New Year & Cultural Heritage Celebration
Date: 29th January 2012
Time: 3.00pm- 12.00am
Venue: Armenian St, Ah Quee St, Acheh St, Canon St, Chulia St, Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling, Soo Hong Lane and Kampong Kolam

For further information about the event, kindly contact the organisers Mr Cheah Chuan Wooi : 012-4741312 or Mr Cheng Wei Pint : 012-5273888

Penang’s Chief Minister Y.A.B Lim Guan Eng invites all Penangites regardless of background to a Chinese New Year Open House on the 23rd of January 2011 at PISA.

Enjoy delicious Penang cuisines while enjoying the special performances lined up. This includes Lion Dance, Cultural Dance, Choir and a special Boria performance from Perbadanan Perpustakaan Awam Pulau Pinang.

Event: Penang Chief Minister Y.A.B Lim Guan Eng’s Chinese New Year Open House
Date: 23rd January 2011
Venue: PISA
Time: 10.00 am – 1.00p.m

On the 28th of January 2012, there will be another open house, organized by the Penang State Government. This open house will be held at Padang MPSP, Butterworth from 6.00pm- 11.00pm.

Everyone is welcomed to join the festivities.

Event: Penang State Chinese New Year Open House
Date: 28th January 2011
Venue: Padang MPSP, Butterworth
Time: 6.00pm- 11.00pm

February 23, 2011

FMT LETTER

From Susan David, via e-mail

Dear Mr Lim Guan Eng. Greetings from UK. I’m a student and soon to be member of Amnesty International UK. I have read so much about you and your detention under the ISA, how you fought for human rights and stood up for the marginalised.

I feel proud that there are clean and bold leaders in this 21st century like you, along with your dad Lim Kit Siang and also Karpal Singh.

However it is extremely disheartening to see what is happening to the HRP activists who have been illegally detained in your state Penang for peaceful gathering/assembly/car convoys whereas PAS had a huge assembly in Kedah recently and no arrests were made. My question to you is:

1. As an opposition stalwart who fights for freedom of expression/speech and assembly, why have you not supported the cause of Indian NGOs who gathered peacefully in Penang asking for the removal of Interlok? Ok, supporting Interlok is another matter but why haven’t you supported the human rights activists calling for freedom of expresion and justice in a peaceful manner?

2. The police have shown their brutality time and again by detaining activists for holding peaceful assemblies at temples and other places whereas Perkasa/PAS are allowed to roam free with their gatherings in PR and non PR states.

3. Is the police force more powerful than you, the chief minster, and your state government?

4. Do they have the power to detain people holding peaceful assemblies without the consent of the chief minister? Is the chief minister powerless to stop these police officers?

5. When NGO reps or other groups are detained, why does the state government keep silent and watch the whole scenario? As an opposition stalwart, do you not fight for freedom of speech and freedom of assembly as you did for the late Teoh Beng Hock .

You even set up a Teoh Beng Hock Trust Fund on your website and organised a lot of gatherings and protestations for him like in the:

i. Sending a memorandum to the PM demanding for a Royal Commission of Inquiry.

ii. The Justice for Beng Hock Solidarity gathering at Kompleks Masyarakat Penyayang.

iii. The Justice for Beng Hock Solidarity gathering in the Malacca DAP headquarters.

iv. The Justice for Beng Hock solidarity gathering at the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, KL.

It seems you are more concerned for your own kind than for others. You have not organised or supported one assembly or gathering for Indian detainees who died in police custody. Why? Is it because they are not DAP members.

It is frustrating and disheartening to see as an opposition stalwart, you have not stood up for all races, and these activists are being detained in your own state. You’ve done nothing to defend them and the voiceless people.

6. A letter was recently sent to the PM by Thasleem Mohamad to revoke Interlok and many other Malay Muslims have expressed similar sentiments.

It is very damaging for an Opposition Leader like Anwar Ibrahim to support Interlok as reading material for young schoolchildren. And your silence on the issue is even more damaging and destructive towards unity among races in Penang.

The Indians, the natives of Sabah and Sarawak and also the poor have been severely marginalised and discriminated against. It’s about time you become their voice and help them fight for their rights. Kindly start by helping to release the human rights activists of HRP as soon as possible.

Himanshu Bhatt

GEORGE TOWN (Feb 16, 2011): Penang has set up a new state executive council (exco) portfolio for non-Islamic religious affairs, the first of its kind by a state government in the country.

The move, made in conjunction with the United Nation’s World Interfaith Harmony Week, is aimed at improving the handling of matters related to religious communities that include Buddhists, Christians, Sikhs, Taoists and Hindus.

The idea was presented by Deputy Chief Minister (II) Prof Dr P. Ramasamy to the weekly state exco meeting, and approved last week.

The portfolio will come under the charge of the chief minister while Ramasamy will assume the deputy chairman post in the committee for the portfolio.

“Unlike the federal government’s Committee for the Promotion of Inter-religious Understanding and Harmony, this is not a committee but a full exco portfolio and it reflects the state government’s genuine concerns on all religious matters,” Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said in a statement today.

Lim said the state was willing to work with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak who had expressed hope at the UN’s 65th General Assembly last year that he did not want any extremist or militant groups to threaten unity and security in Malaysia.

“The Penang state government is concerned at the existence of extremist groups who seek to racialise every event for their own selfish interests,” Lim said.

“Penang has been under siege with attacks of being anti-Malay even if it involves only 10% Malays or one Malay out of 10 affected parties,” he added, referring to attacks against a string of eviction and enforcement actions that involve various racial communities in the state.

Lim also noted that the new portfolio marks the celebration of the World Interfaith Harmony Week this week.

“Further, as George Town is a Unesco World Heritage city, the formation of this exco portfolio is timely as it promotes diversity and positive human interaction on cultural, religious and social spheres,” he added.

“Despite our differences, we are united by our common aspirations for good practices and universal moral values of peace, justice, moderation and harmony. Co-operation not confrontation, mutual respect not tolerance, and understanding not ignorance will be the governing creed of this new Penang exco portfolio.”

PENANG, Aug 11 (Bernama) — Opposition leader Datuk Azhar Ibrahim on Tuesday labeled the current Penang state government as ‘bigger robbers’ for accepting the balance of RM2.2 million from the sale of Kampung Buah Pala.

Azhar (BN-Penaga) said if Barisan Nasional (BN) are labeled as ‘robbers’ for selling the land, the Pakatan-led government are ‘bigger robbers’ for accepting the balance of the premium.

“If they called us robbers for accepting RM1 million as part payment for the sale of the land, then, they are ‘bigger robbers’ for accepting the balance of RM2.2 million,” said Azhar when Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng was winding up debate on the Penang Hill Corporation Bill 2009 at the state assembly sitting.

Azhar said the endorsement of the land was also done by the current state government on March 27, 2008 after the balance of the premium was received on March 14, 2008.

Lim however said, the present government did not sign any documents pertaining to Kampung Buah Pala, but rather just continued what was done by the previous BN government.

“Why did the BN government sell the land for such a low price? asked Lim.

Syed Amerruddin Syed Ahmad (BN-Bayan Lepas) immediately stood up to clarify that the land price was cheap because Kampung Buah Pala was swapped for another piece of land next to Dewan Sri Pinang which was owned by Koperasi Pegawai Kerajaan Pulau Pinang (KPKPP).

“So, the low price of the land does not arise because the sale of the land was done according to the proper procedures. But before BN could complete the deal, there was a change in the government,” he said.

Lim later said the state government viewed the Kampung Buah Pala issue seriously and would do everything possible to guarantee the welfare of the residents.

– BERNAMA

GEORGE TOWN: Datuk Keramat assemblyman Jagdeep Singh Deo was ordered out of the state assembly when he called an Opposition leader a perompak (robber) over the Kampung Buah Pala issue.

The move stunned some assemblymen and those in the public gallery since Jagdeep Singh and state assembly speaker Datuk Abdul Halim Hussain are both leaders in the Pakatan Rakyat alliance.

Jagdeep was ordered out after he refused to retract his words when asked to do so by Abdul Halim.

“I don’t understand why I have to retract the words. I did not mention Azhar’s name,” Jagdeep Singh said.

The incident happened during a shouting match between Jagdeep Singh and Opposition leader Datuk Azhar Ibrahim (BN-Penaga).

Jagdeep Singh said the previous state government leaders and “the Opposition leader” were perompak (robbers) in relation to the sale of the village land and that “one of the robbers” was present in the House.

After he disregarded several warnings from Abdul Halim to retract those words, Jagdeep Singh was shown the door.

R.S.N Rayer (DAP-Seri Delima) interjected that Azhar should also retract his words calling Jagdeep Singh “a person without personality.”

“If Azhar refuses, he too should be sent out of the assembly,” he said.

Before leaving, Jagdeep Singh asked Abdul Halim for how long he had to leave the sitting and was told that he could return for the afternoon session.

Earlier, Jagdeep Singh in his written question asked Deputy Chief Minister II Dr P. Ramasamy (DAP-Prai) on the latest development in the investigations carried out by the state investigating committee on allegations of foul play in the transfer of the Kampung Buah Pala land to Koperasi Pegawai Kerajaan Negeri Pulau Pinang Bhd.

Speaking to newsmen later, Jagdeep Singh said although felt Abdul Halim’s decision was “absolutely unfair,” he would nevertheless respect it.

“I was asking a supplementary question to the YB from Prai, and if the Opposition leader feels that it was directed to him, there is little I can do,” he said.