Monorail

March 21, 2012
Solution to bottlenecks
By DERRICK VINESH
Star

APART from an undersea tunnel linking Bagan Ajam in Butterworth and Gurney Drive, a monorail project has been proposed in north Seberang Prai to help reduce traffic congestion in the area.

According to the North Seberang Prai Local Plan 2020 draft, two main monorail routes have been proposed — the Butterworth-Bagan Ajam-Kepala Batas route and the Butterworth-Sungai Dua-Tasek Gelugor route.

According to the plan, monorail stations will be located at the Penang Sentral integrated transportation hub, the North Butter- worth Container Terminal (NBCT), Bagan Ajam, Teluk Air Tawar, Kepala Batas, Pajak Song, Sungai Dua, Bagan Lalang, Chain Ferry, Bagan Jermal, Bertam, Tasek Gelugor, Pokok Sena, Taman Seri Indah and Permatang Buloh Town.

Country Planning Department northern zone technical assistant Mohammad Nizam Taib said the North Seberang Prai and Central Seberang Prai Local Plans 2020 draft will be on display for the public from now till April 12.

He said the documents were available at the MPSP headquarters in Bandar Perda in Bukit Mertajam, the North Seberang Prai and the Central Seberang Prai district offices and at the Town and Country Planning Department office on Level 57, Komtar, George Town.

He said the drafts for each district came in two editions and contained proposed development projects with maps as well as related development guidelines.

“The exhibition is open from 9am to 5pm on Monday to Friday.

“Visitors can also buy a copy of the local plan draft in CD-ROM format at RM10 each,” he said.

MPSP president Maimunah Mohd Sharif said public opinion and suggestions would be incorporated into the draft if necessary.

“It is not a final version and we can still improvise, scale down or remove details from the proposed projects in the plan.

“We have prepared standard forms for the public to comment or to give suggestions, but they can also use other formats including video clips and voice recordings to give us their feedback,” she said.

Maimunah said although public viewing of the local plan draft would end on April 12, the public could still submit their feedback by April 19.

Under the Town and Country Planning Act 1976 (Act 172), the public could seek an extension for the objection period to not more than a month after the deadline, she said.

“This particular local plan draft programme is rather historical because apart from the gazetting of the Penang Hill Local Plan in 1990, this is the second local plan in Penang that will be printed after being publicised,” she said.

State Town and Country Planning Department director Zainuddin Ahamad said he hoped the entire process, including the public hearing, could be completed in the next six months for both the local plans to be gazetted by December.

Harbour Place - a new township in Butterworth

Exciting new Project

May 28, 2012

Source: Star

THE Harbour Place project is expected to stimulate the economic growth of Butterworth and its vicinity.
The project undertaken by PJD Eastern Land Sdn Bhd on a 12.1ha site in Jalan New Ferry in Butterworth consists of a 30-storey hotel, shopping mall and serviced apartments.

Assistant general manager Ng Chin Yung said the mixed integrated development included the Retro entertainment and food & beverage zone, the Metro commercial and education zone such as retail components, Swiss Garden International Hotel and Swiss Garden residences.

“This project is expected to contribute to the growth of Butterworth and its vicinity,’’ Chin Yung said.
He said this during the Harbour Palace open day which was held at the newly completed Ocean View Residences apartments recently.

The residents and guests were treated to a sumptuous buffet dinner.
They were entertained with live jazz band performances and an impressive fireworks display to light up the night.

Also present were chief operating officer Lim Lian Seng and branch manager Wilfred Ng.
“All the 382 units of Ocean View Residences have been sold, even before the completion.
“Potential buyers can opt for the Welles-ley Residences, which is 65% sold currently,’’ said Wilfred.
The Wellesley Residences project offers five design types including studio, family deluxe and penthouse to suit all needs.

Residents of Wellesley Residences will enjoy facilities like a sky gymnasium, jacuzzi, sauna and steam rooms, an open lawn, a sky lounge, a games zone and a viewing deck.

July 27, 2011
Condos, hotel coming up in B’worthStar

THE developer of Harbour Place, a new township project in Butterworth, has launched the fourth phase of its trendy condominiums known as ‘Wellesley Residences.’

The project undertaken by PJD Eastern Land Sdn Bhd is located on a 12.1ha site in the heart of town.

Currently, the township has three existing luxury condominiums and a hypermarket.

A total of 401 new units will be built in a 27-storey and 30-storey blocks.

The project will have a signature chic urban living concept with nine units per floor in a semi-detached setting.

PJD chief operating officer Lim Lian Seng is confident of luring investors to their properties here due to their proven track record.

The company is a subsidiary of a Kuala Lumpur-based developer, PJ Development Holdings Berhad.

The parent company has developed highly integrated development projects in various parts of the country.

Lim said the name Wellesley Residences was derived from Seberang Prai’s former name of Pro-vince Wellesley.

He added that the units were designed to complement and enhance the requirements of mo-dern urban living.

They were designed to re-energise, rejuvenate and revitalise modern living concepts as the residents would enjoy a sky gymnasium, yoga, aerobic, recreational games, sauna and steam rooms, Jacuzzi, massage facilities, a sky lounge and a viewing deck on the roof-top.

Lim said a 26,666sq meter su-permarket had been planned nearby to provide the conve-nience of shopping for residents at their doorsteps.

Besides that, an educational institution and a 30-storey Swiss-Garden Hotel and Residences hospitality property, are additional facilities for the folks in Butterworth.

He said the hotel chain owned by the company would start construction at the end of the year.

Breast Feeding Corner

June 1, 2011
Breast-feeding corner for MPSP headquarters
Star

THE Seberang Prai Municipal Council plans to set up a breast-feeding corner and diaper-changing room in its headquarters in Bandar Perda, Bukit Mertajam, to cater to new mothers.

Council president Maimunah Mohd Sharif said both rooms could be built on the building’s mezzanine floor, where an in-house creche was located.

“We have a few babies among the young children at our creche.

“The breast-feeding corner and diaper changing room can also be used by new mothers who visit our council building with their toddlers,” she said when chairing a full council meeting at the headquarters in Bukit Mertajam yesterday.

Maimunah said the council wanted to set a good example for other organisations, from both the public and private sectors, to set up similar rooms in their premises.

Earlier, municipal councillor Tan Cheai Peng proposed the inclusion of breast-feeding corners and diaper-changing rooms in the building plan of future public buildings.

Speaking to reporters later, she said a few shopping complexes and hospitals had already set up such corners to promote a more conducive baby-friendly environment for their customers.

“I hope such corners can be set up in other public places such as bus stations, railway stations, banks, restaurants and government departments.

“I have seen some mothers breastfeeding their babies in toilets, which is unhealthy and unhygienic,” she said.

On a different matter, fellow councillor Steven Sim Chee Keong told reporters that the council’s ad-hoc committee on Gender and the Disabled would conduct its pilot programme via two workshops.

He said a workshop titled ‘Intro-duction to Gender Equality and Good Governance in the Local Authority’ would be held at the council headquarters in Bukit Mertajam on June 16, involving the council’s heads of department and senior officers.

He said another workshop titled, ‘Awareness on the Needs of Disabled Persons’ involving surveyors, planners, engineers, architects and developers, would be held at the council headquarters on June 25 and June 26.