PTC meetings ‘not secretive’

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang government has dismissed allegations that it was being secretive about meetings on the Penang Transport Council (PTC), which was formed to implement the RM27 billion Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP).

State Local Government, Traffic Management and Flood Mitigation Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said numerous public meetings, focus groups and presentations have been organised by the state and PTMP project delivery partner (PDP) SRS Consortium.

He said media updates were also held to reply to concerns expressed by civil organisations and local communities.

“This is an unfair allegation,” he said in a statement yesterday in response to Penang Heritage Trust (PHT) vice-chairman Khoo Salma Nasution, who complained in a Facebook post that she was asked to leave a PTC meeting on Sept 2 despite being a PTC alternate member.

Chow said the state allowed PHT and the Consumer Association of Penang (CAP) to name fixed alternate members if their nominated members could not attend.

He said the PHT named Khoo Salma as its alternate member to stand in for PHT president Lim Gaik Sian if he was unable to attend meetings.

Chow said the Sept 2 meeting saw both Khoo Salma and Lim present resulting in the PTC secretariat reminding that the alternate member from PHT was not required. – by Aaron Ngui