The Penang Forum Agenda (2018)

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The Penang Forum has a list of demands which it calls on Penang’s newly elected officials of 2018 to act upon and deliver.
These demands are related to the three principles of:
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GOOD GOVERNANCE
AND STRONG PUBLIC
INSTITUTIONS

  • Bring back local elections
  • Increase civil society representation in the interim
  • PM, CM, and MB focus on holistic role and should
    not take on other ministries/portfolios
  • Limit the terms of office of the PM, CM, and MB to
    two consecutive terms
  • Politicians should not sit on boards of governmentlinked companies
  • Immediate gazetting of Local Plans with full public
    participation
  • Start a Penang Youth City Council to develop
    projects on issues important to youth.
  • Encourage youth representation in urban
    development planning discourse
  • Stop swap deals in land reclamation
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EQUITABLE SHARING
OF RESOURCES AND SOCIAL INCLUSION

  • Adopt a comprehensive approach to housing policy,
    prioritising social housing for B40
  • Provide affordable housing which is no more than 3
    times annual income for M40
  • Make public buildings, spaces and transport accessible
    for people with disabilities
  • Fulfill employment and housing quotas for people with
    disabilities
  • Increase the Warga Emas cash handout and target only
    the elderly from B40 households.
  • Upgrade public facilities, council and state flats, to
    elderly-friendly universal design.
  • Update, adopt and implement the 2013 Penang Gender
    Policy to achieve gender equality
  • Enhance gender and leadership training and accelerate
    women’s representation in politics
  • Implement a fair labour policy and provide decent
  • housing for migrant workers
  • Ratify the 1951 UNHCR Convention
  • Support refugees’ access to education, decent
  • housing, healthcare and other services
  • Reclaimed land should be leasehold
  • Ensure public access to waterfront and coastline

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SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT AND
ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION

  • Planning approvals and densities should be based on carrying
    capacity of the area
  • Prioritise accessible and integrated public transport over
    highway building
  • Immediate implementation of bus lanes and BRTs
  • Improve ferry service and introduce cross-channel rail link instead
    of building a tunnel
  • Stop creating artificial islands through reclamation
  • Include climate change in all aspects of planning
  • Immediate moratorium on development projects on hill land
  • More stringent prosecution of illegal clearing of hill land
  • Make urban spaces more spongey to prevent flash floods
  • Stop cutting down mangroves, conserve and expand mangrove
    area
  • Work towards joint World Heritage inscription of Pulau Jerejak
    and Sungai Buloh
  • No bridge, no reclamation and no theme park on Pulau Jerejak
  • Develop a state urban forestry action plan
  • Conserve and increase public open space and greenery
  • No cable car and rifle range in the Penang Botanic Gardens
  • Gazette the Prangin Canal site as a public park
  • Extend heritage protection to heritage sites outside the World
    Heritage zone
  • Develop sustainable and responsible tourism rather than mass
    tourism