PENANG TO BUILD WATER PARK
Project can draw investors to develop Batu Kawan, says chief minister
THE Penang government is planning to develop a water theme park in Batu Kawan to attract investors to develop the area. Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said there were plans to develop commercial, housing and mixeddevelopment projects in Batu Kawan.
“The Penang Development Corporation (PDC) is planning to expand on the idea (water theme park) and is open to suggestions.
“This will help develop Batu Kawan as a mixed-development area.
“However, I do not have information on how much land is left in the area (for development).
“This is because every plot of land has been identified by investors, eventhough (development) has yet to begin.”
Chow said this in reply to an additional question by Goh Choon Aik (PH-Bukit Tambun) during the question-and-answer session at the
Penang State Assembly sitting here yesterday.
Goh questioned the status of PDC-owned land in Batu Kawan,
according to the size of industrial land that had been sold, and who bought them.
He wanted to know if they were sold via the Request for Proposal (RFP) application.
He also asked about the status of related projects as well as those sold via open tender.
Chow (PHPadang Kota) said 243.62ha of land in the Batu Kawan Industrial Park had been sold to local and foreign companies for the purpose of starting and expanding their businesses.
“The land in Bandar Cassia, Batu Kawan, sold through the RFP and open tender, were 144.31ha, with six project proposals made via RFP and one via open tender.”
In another development, Lim Siew Khim (PH-Sungai Pinang) questioned the status of land in the state that had yet to be developed and handed over to the Federal Land Commissioner, as well as those that had been zoned for schools.
Chow said matters pertaining to education fell under List 1 of the Federal List and Schedule 9 of the Federal Constitution, and that ownership of land for schools must be transferred to the Federal Land Commissioner as the development would be under the Education Ministry.
“Checks with the Land and Minerals Department directorgeneral found 18 plots of land in which ownership was transferred to the Federal Land Commissioner for the purpose of building schools, but have yet to be developed.”