Latest news with #GeorgeTown
Malay Mail
10 hours ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
Corrupt gains will be recovered, it is the people's money, says MACC chief
GEORGE TOWN, July 24 — Leakages and misappropriation in the public sector not only affect the country's financial management, but also erode public trust in government institutions. Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said that public funds, which are the mainstay of national development, must be managed with full accountability because misappropriation and weaknesses in internal control systems would lead to abuse of power, wastage and burdening the people. He said that among the major cases involving the misappropriation of public funds were Op Water Sabah, which involved the embezzlement of a water supply project worth RM3.3 billion, and that by a former Youth and Sports Ministry senior officer, who was convicted of 96 charges related to forgery and money laundering. 'The MACC also confiscated various luxury assets worth over RM3.5 billion and forfeited almost RM28 billion in the last five years, which proves our commitment to ensuring that public funds are not misused. 'To those enjoying themselves with corrupt gains, the MACC will take back this money because it is the people's money,' he said when officiating the closing of the 2025 Public Sector Finance and Auditing Seminar (SKPSA) themed Financial Integrity: Enforcing Compliance and Preventing Misappropriation in the Public Service in Teluk Bahang, near here, today. Elaborating, Azam said the proposed tabling of the Government Procurement Bill in Parliament this year is to strengthen the government's procurement system to become more transparent, systematic and based on the law. He also urged public sector accountants and auditors to report any misappropriation or irregularities without fear so as to defend public service integrity. He also hopes that protection for whistleblowers will continue to be enhanced through more effective implementation of the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010. In addition, Azam stressed the need for digital transformation in the government's financial and procurement systems by leveraging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain and data analytics, to trace suspicious transactions and prevent corruption at an earlier stage. The SKPSA 2025 is organised by Tunku Puteri Intan Safinaz School of Accountancy (TISSA) and Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), in collaboration with the MACC's Financial Analysis Division. Also present were UUM deputy vice-chancellor (Research and Innovation) Prof Dr Ram Al Jaffri Saad, Penang MACC director Datuk Mohd Fuad Bee Basrah Bee, UUM School of Accounting deputy dean Mohd Hadzrami Harun Rasit, the university's senior officers, and participants nationwide. — Bernama
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- South China Morning Post
Chinese tourists seek hidden gems in Penang, drawn by durians and food
Tourists from China are showing greater interest in off-the-beaten-path experiences in Malaysia 's Penang state compared to the usual attractions. Advertisement They are often spotted at local food haunts and wet markets that Penangites frequent every day instead of the heritage enclave. Penang Tourist Guides Association chairman Clement Liang said repeat travellers from China often avoid busy tourist areas within the George Town Unesco World Heritage site. 'They have seen the main attractions, like the murals, British colonial and Peranakan architecture. 'Now, they want to explore quieter places. We take them to Pulau Tikus, Teluk Bahang on Penang island and even Seberang Perai.' Advertisement Liang said Pulau Tikus has become increasingly popular for its food and temples, with many tourists arriving with lists of food stalls and attractions to explore.
Free Malaysia Today
3 days ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Chow defends curbs on non-Penangite traders at Indian trade fairs
Penang chief minister Chow Kon Yeow said traders from outside the state are allowed to sell Indian-themed goods between February and May, or whenever the local council allows. GEORGE TOWN : Penang chief minister Chow Kon Yeow has defended the state's restriction on traders not based in Penang from selling Indian-themed goods outside designated months, saying this is aimed at protecting local businesses from unfair competition. 'We are not banning traders from outside of Penang completely. They are allowed to operate between February and May, or whenever the local council allows,' he told reporters at Komtar today. He said the rule, which has been in place for more than five years, was introduced after appeals from the Penang Indian Chamber of Commerce. Chow said the local traders had complained that Deepavali sales were being undermined by cheaper foreign goods sold at Indian pop-up fairs, often operated by non-residents. He said many of these fairs did not go through the same red tape as traditional shops, including applying for proper permits or paying taxes, and often used Penangites as fronts for non-local or even foreign companies. 'Our Penang Indian businesses pay rent, pay interest (for their business), and not every month is a good month. They wait all year for Deepavali to carry out business. 'As a government, we must protect our local families,' he said, denying that the rules were anti-competitive or unconstitutional. This follows public criticism over a viral video showing Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP) officers issuing fines to traders during an Indian-themed fair at a mall in Bukit Mertajam on July 9. The officers were heard explaining that only Penang residents could sell such goods outside the set April to June window, or within 30 days before Deepavali. The traders, including a Kuala Lumpur-based organiser, appeared confused by the enforcement, questioning why they could not conduct their business when they were registered with the Companies Commission of Malaysia and were Malaysians. Critics, including former MBSP councillor David Marshel and Batu Uban assemblyman A Kumaresan, questioned the legality of the policy and warned that it could send the wrong message about Penang's openness to fair trade. They asked the state to review the rule and consider more inclusive ways to support local businesses without shutting others out. Cops visit Penang Development Corp in MBI probe Separately, Chow confirmed that Penang Development Corporation (PDC) is assisting police and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission in their investigation into the now-defunct MBI investment scheme. The investigation focuses on whether payments made for land at Bayan Mutiara between 2011 and 2019 were linked to money laundering. According to a PDC briefing note given to reporters by Chow's office today, Bukit Aman's anti-money laundering special task force visited PDC on July 9 and requested meeting minutes and financial documents related to land sold to Mutiara Metropolis Sdn Bhd, formerly known as Tropicana Ivory Sdn Bhd. PDC submitted the documents on July 18 and said it acted in accordance with due process. It also said four agreements were signed over the years for the Penang World City project, with reclamation works now 68% complete and overall project progress at 44%. Chow also said the state government's Penang2030 policy framework was on track, with 80% of its key targets already met. He said long-term projects like the Mutiara LRT line and Silicon Island were still moving forward and will be considered part of the completed targets once approvals are in place.
Malay Mail
5 days ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
Greener streets, cooler city: How Penang plans to refresh Unesco-listed George Town
GEORGE TOWN, July 20 — In George Town's historic core, one of Penang's oldest roads is about to get a major facelift, not just for heritage, but for the climate. Beach Street, once a waterfront artery for commerce and now a bustling financial centre, has been selected as the starting point for Penang's ambitious plan to cool down its inner city and return its streets to people, not just cars. The Penang Island City Council (MBPP) is launching a RM24.7 million pilot project that will transform a 1.76km loop around Beach Street into a climate-responsive, pedestrian-friendly zone. MBPP Mayor Datuk A. Rajendran said the aim is to reclaim public space and combat the heat island effect caused by concrete, tarmac, and the dense rows of old shophouses. 'We want to bring down urban temperatures by planting more trees and at the same time, increase the walkway width while reducing the carriageway,' he told Malay Mail in a recent interview. A map of the area identified for the PNBCAP @ Beach Street initiative, courtesy of MBPP The project is partly funded by a World Bank Adaptation Fund grant under the Nature-Based Climate Adaptation Programme for Urban Areas of Penang Island (PNBCAP), with MBPP covering the other half. 'This can be replicated in other streets in the city and it can be a model for other cities to replicate to bring down urban heat and improve walkability,' Rajendran said. He said stakeholder engagement sessions have so far been positive and the council has already awarded the contract, with work slated to begin on September 1 and complete by February 2027. The planned works will go beyond cosmetic upgrades. What to expect Footpaths will be widened, more trees planted, and new pocket parks added to encourage walking while reducing temperatures. The Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower, now surrounded by a traffic roundabout, will be transformed into a focal point for a pedestrian pocket park with safe street crossings. To make space for the changes, Beach Street and Church Street Ghaut will be converted into one-way streets, while the number of roadside parking spaces in the loop will be reduced from 293 to just 100. An artist's impression of the PNBCAP @ Beach Street initiative that will introduce wider walkways and more trees into George Town, Penang. — Picture courtesy of MBPP The project will also introduce clean energy solutions. These include solar panels to power street lights and phone charging stations, and a kinetic walkway that captures energy from footsteps to power low-energy infrastructure. Soil cell systems – underground structures that help trees grow healthy roots without damaging pavements – will be used to support the new trees. But for all its future-looking ambitions, this project is deeply rooted in George Town's past. An artist's impression of the PNBCAP @ Beach Street initiative that will introduce wider walkways and more trees into George Town, Penang. — Picture courtesy of MBPP Here is a closer look at the streets involved. Roads affected Beach Street, laid out in 1786 along with Light Street and Chulia Street, was among the first roads drawn up after Francis Light arrived in Penang. Originally hugging the eastern shoreline, it lost its coastal view after major land reclamations in the late 19th century pushed the sea further east. Today, it remains one of the busiest streets in George Town, lined with banks, offices, and heritage shophouses. But the upgrade will reach beyond Beach Street to the adjacent roads – each with their own layered stories. Weld Quay, for instance, was born of the same 19th-century land reclamation that distanced Beach Street from the sea. Named after Sir Frederick Weld, a former Governor of the Straits Settlements, the road once connected George Town to its thriving port and continues to serve as a vital link to Swettenham Pier, the Raja Tun Uda Ferry Terminal and RapidPenang's bus terminal. Chulia Street Ghaut, once a simple sandy track to the shoreline, emerged from that same wave of reclamation as an extension of Chulia Street, directly linking to Weld Quay. It now traces the old footprint of Yeoh Kongsi, a clan house once open to the waterfront. An artist's impression of the PNBCAP @ Beach Street initiative that will introduce wider walkways and more trees into George Town, Penang. — Picture courtesy of MBPP Pesara King Edward (also known as King Edward's Place), a short but significant stretch, connects Light Street to Weld Quay and was created during land reclamation between 1880 and 1904. It is home to early 20th-century godowns and post-war office buildings, and leads directly to Swettenham Pier and Penang Port Sdn Bhd's headquarters. Downing Street, inspired by its London namesake, was once the seat of British administration in Penang after land reclamation in the early 1880s. Though many of its colonial buildings were lost during World War II, the road remains a key part of the city's administrative memory, now occupied by a large parking lot. Church Street Ghaut was added as a reclamation-era extension of Church Street, historically lined with warehouses that supported George Town's maritime trade. Today, those old godowns are being revitalised as trendy cafés, art galleries and boutique lodgings. China Street Ghaut, once a boundary road for the Chinese tradesmen community, shares a similar story – created during the late 19th-century reclamation and now part of the city's heritage grid. Victoria Street, once mudflats along the coast, was built between 1880 and 1904 and earned the local Hokkien name hai kee sin lor, meaning 'new road by the sea.' Only a short 200-metre section of this nearly 1km-long road will be included in the redevelopment, but its transformation is no less symbolic. An artist's impression of the PNBCAP @ Beach Street initiative that will introduce wider walkways and more trees into George Town, Penang. — Picture courtesy of MBPP Across the entire loop, the MBPP aims to not only reduce surface temperatures but also bring back vibrancy through greener, safer streets. With climate change looming and urban temperatures rising, Penang hopes the new Beach Street can be both a nod to the past – and a blueprint for the future.
Free Malaysia Today
6 days ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Cops nab 2 men, seize RM2.3mil in drugs and assets in Penang
Acting Penang police chief Alwi Zainal Abidin said 150 packets and nine plastic bottles containing MDMA powder, weighing over 13.4kg, were seized during the raid. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : Police arrested two men and seized drugs and assets worth RM2.3 million in a raid in George Town, Penang, on Wednesday. Acting Penang police chief Alwi Zainal Abidin said the suspects, aged 40 and 62, were believed to have been involved in the distribution of MDMA. He said the older man was arrested at a house used to process the drugs, and his accomplice was picked up in the same area. According to Alwi, 150 packets and nine plastic bottles containing MDMA powder, weighing more than 13.4kg, were seized during the raid, as well as two vehicles and cash totalling RM71,220. 'We also seized two ecstasy pills, an Erimin 5 pill, and equipment used to process MDMA,' he said in a statement. Alwi said the duo had been trafficking drugs since March, involving quantities that were believed to be enough for consumption by up to 100,000 users. He said both suspects tested positive for drugs and have records for drug-related offences. They have been remanded until July 23 and are being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 for drug trafficking.
