Latest news with #HousingCommittee
New Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Chow instructs review of housing discount
GEORGE TOWN: Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow has instructed state Housing Committee chairman Datuk Seri S. Sundarajoo to review the housing discount policy for Indian Muslims, with the aim of expanding it to all buyers. Chow said Sundarajoo could do so in collaboration with developers to ensure the housing discount policy was more inclusive and benefits all segments of society, in line with principles of social justice. "The state government has received various feedback regarding the announcement of a five per cent discount initiative for the Indian Muslim community for the purchase of completed unsold housing units (overhang properties), as announced by Sundarajoo on June 5. "Some of the feedback received and presented stated that such a discount should also be offered to all buyers to revitalise the property sector, particularly the sale of unsold housing units. "In line with this, I have instructed Sundarajoo to review the existing housing discount policy," he said in a statement. Chow said, additionally, the state executive council (exco) would deliberate on this matter and make an appropriate decision for the benefit of all parties involved. Yesterday, Sundarajoo said the offer of a five per cent discount for first-time homebuyers from the Indian Muslim community in Penang does not involve units under the Bumiputera quota and does not affect any existing home ownership policies. The initiative, he said, was part of efforts to expand home ownership opportunities in the open market, particularly for groups with low participation rates, without affecting the rights of other communities. This came after human rights lawyer Rajesh Nagarajan criticised the move. This prompted Penang DAP chairman Steven Sim Chee Keong to discuss the matter with Chow, who then agreed to bring this issue up for review and discussion at the upcoming exco meeting. Sim said it was important for the Penang government to continue upholding the principle of social justice and to ensure the rights of every Malaysian to own a home were protected.
New Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Chow instructs review of housing discount policy, considers expansion to all buyers
GEORGE TOWN: Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow has instructed state Housing Committee chairman Datuk Seri S. Sundarajoo to review the housing discount policy for Indian Muslims, with the aim of expanding it to all buyers. Chow said Sundarajoo could do so in collaboration with developers to ensure the housing discount policy was more inclusive and benefits all segments of society, in line with principles of social justice. "The state government has received various feedback regarding the announcement of a five per cent discount initiative for the Indian Muslim community for the purchase of completed unsold housing units (overhang properties), as announced by Sundarajoo on June 5. "Some of the feedback received and presented stated that such a discount should also be offered to all buyers to revitalise the property sector, particularly the sale of unsold housing units. "In line with this, I have instructed Sundarajoo to review the existing housing discount policy," he said in a statement. Chow said, additionally, the state executive council (exco) would deliberate on this matter and make an appropriate decision for the benefit of all parties involved. Yesterday, Sundarajoo said the offer of a five per cent discount for first-time homebuyers from the Indian Muslim community in Penang does not involve units under the Bumiputera quota and does not affect any existing home ownership policies. The initiative, he said, was part of efforts to expand home ownership opportunities in the open market, particularly for groups with low participation rates, without affecting the rights of other communities. This came after human rights lawyer Rajesh Nagarajan criticised the move. This prompted Penang DAP chairman Steven Sim Chee Keong to discuss the matter with Chow, who then agreed to bring this issue up for review and discussion at the upcoming exco meeting. Sim said it was important for the Penang government to continue upholding the principle of social justice and to ensure the rights of every Malaysian to own a home were protected.
BBC News
14-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Government 'cannot mark own homework on Grenfell'
The government cannot be left "marking its own homework" when it comes to following through on recommendations from the Grenfell Report, MPs have a letter to Housing Secretary Angela Rayner the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee urged independent oversight of progress on building branded it "completely unacceptable" that survivors and next of kin of the 72 people who lost their lives in the Grenfell Tower disaster "are still awaiting justice for that terrible day".Building safety minister Alex Norris told the committee last month that the government had promised "quarterly reporting" on its website and annual scrutiny in the House of Commons. Campaigners on a range of scandals, including the Grenfell fire and infected blood victims, have previously called for a national oversight mechanism - an independent public body - to be put in place, responsible for collating, analysing and following up on recommendations from public have argued that, without such a body in place, governments can delay the implementation of, or even ignore entirely, recommendations from public this call, the committee told ministers: "The clearest, most consistent message we heard in our inquiry was that the Government must now be held to account for implementing these recommendations."We therefore endorse witness calls for the design and implementation of an independent mechanism to ensure that the government is held to account going forward and is not left marking its own homework." Florence Eshalomi, a Labour MP for Vauxhall and Camberwell Green who sits on the housing committee, said survivours and next of kin want to see government action "at a pace"."The sense from them was that so much time had been lost and yet nothing had moved on considerably," she told BBC London. "What we are asking is there should be a national oversight mechanism, similar to what's been proposed in the Hillsborough, to effectively monitor the different stages of implementation and looking at those recommendations so that we can all track the progress." 'Catastrophic mistakes' Appearing before the committee last month, Mr Norris said that, while he recognised the call for an oversight mechanism from campaigners who have been victim of "scandal and failure of the British state", he "can't make that commitment".He said: "That's a Cabinet Office-run process. I've made the commitment I've made in line with what we published in the inquiry on the publicly available information. The work is ongoing across government on the national oversight mechanism more generally."The committee said an independent oversight mechanism would "reduce the risk of future governments repeating the catastrophic mistakes which have historically led to state-related deaths, from Hillsborough, to the infected blood scandal, to the Grenfell Tower fire itself".Elsewhere in their letter, the MPs also demanded an urgent review of the decision to mandate sprinkler installation in new care homes but not existing ones, and that sufficient funding is provided to ensure all disabled residents in high-rise buildings can have Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (Peeps).The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government has been asked to comment.
Yahoo
04-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alderman told to leave City Council meeting after he appeared to call colleague a white supremacist
A City Council debate over whether a controversial pro-Gaza puppet display at the Chicago Cultural Center is antisemitic or a fair expression of free speech descended into disorder Tuesday, with an aldermanic ally of Mayor Brandon Johnson being told to leave the council chambers after he appeared to call another alderman a 'white supremacist.' Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th, who last year was criticized for speaking at a protest rally where an American flag was burned, later Tuesday claimed he said the words 'this is white supremacist' in the direction of Ald. Bill Conway, 34th, and didn't direct his comments to Conway individually. After the comment was made during the committee meeting it was temporarily recessed and neither alderman returned. The committee chair said he told Sigcho-Lopez not to return. The argument capped a four-hour debate about the puppetry exhibit that features a two-sided 'protest puppet' with bloodied caricatures of Uncle Sam and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Writing on the wooden bases holding up the puppet criticizes U.S. financial support for Israel's war efforts in Gaza and labels the characters as 'children killers' and 'murderers.' As many as 28 aldermen, a majority of the City Council, signed a letter last month condemning the puppet display as antisemitic 'hate speech.' But some aldermen during the no-vote hearing criticized that condemnation as an attack on free speech and a waste of time. 'Last time I checked, in America, we should be free to express ourselves,' said Ald. William Hall, 6th. Conway during the debate pressed Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Affairs Commissioner Clinée Hedspeth about the artwork before Sigcho-Lopez chimed in and the two aldermen began a heated back-and-forth during which Sigcho-Lopez said Conway had disrespected Hedspeth. Conway, who represents parts of the Loop, Greektown and Little Italy, had earlier in the debate referenced burning the American flag. Sigcho-Lopez, who represents parts of Pilsen and Little Village, appeared in March in front of a burnt American flag at a pro-Palestinian rally. The flag incident almost cost Sigcho-Lopez his position last year as head of the council's Housing Committee but aldermen eventually voted not to punish him. Sigcho-Lopez at the time said he did not see the burnt flag and was not at the rally when a veteran torched it in protest of the federal government's support of Israel's war in Gaza. After Tuesday's meeting recessed amid shouts from several aldermen for Sigcho-Lopez to be removed, the chairman of the Special Events committee, Ald. Nicholas Sposato, 38th, said, 'You gotta go, out, get out of here!' Sposato later said he 'threw him (Sigcho-Lopez) out.' The committee did not take an official vote to bar Sigcho-Lopez from the meeting. Sigcho-Lopez and Conway spoke privately in a closet behind the council chambers after the exchange. Afterwards, Sigcho-Lopez told reporters the comments were not directed at Conway. Conway later said Sigcho-Lopez apologized and added that he had 'no desire to escalate this.' Hall, who was in the closet room with Sigcho-Lopez, Conway and top Johnson adviser Jason Lee, said the group prayed during their private discussion. He noted that Sigcho-Lopez had said he felt targeted by Conway's comments about the burnt flag. 'Two wrongs don't make a right,' Hall said. 'We need to get to a place where we can disagree and not disrespect.' The ugly exchange set the tone for yet another fraught debate in the City Council over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza almost a year after Johnson cast a tie-breaking vote to make Chicago the largest American city to call for a Gaza ceasefire. The puppet installment was vetted by a panel of arts experts designed to root out biases, Hedspeth said. After hearing complaints last month, the commissioner removed a panel naming the piece 'US-Israel War Machine' and placed sensitivity warnings outside the exhibit, she added. But Hedspeth emphatically defended the decision to so far leave the puppet display up despite pressure. She described the calls for the piece to be removed as efforts to 'bully' and 'silence' artists from a 'small group.' It would be 'anti-American' for someone to unilaterally remove the piece, she told aldermen. Artwork depicting other offensive topics, such as lynching, have been displayed at the building, she added. In one of many sharp disagreements throughout the hearing, Ald. Debra Silverstein, the council's lone Jewish member, asked Hedspeth how she would react if someone tried to install a puppet depicting a bloodied caricature of Johnson to criticize his decision to remove the ShotSpotter gunshot detection system. Hedspeth said she would follow with the same vetting process. 'I would trust the team and the experts,' she answered. Silverstein repeated her demand that the artwork be taken down. There is a difference between making a controversial piece of art and displaying one with taxpayer money, she argued. 'It is not just an art exhibit. It's a statement made in a publicly funded, city-run space, a space intended to welcome tours and represent the value of Chicago,' Silverstein said. 'Let me be very clear: This is not a First Amendment issue.' Aldermen struck a more collegial tone when the meeting continued after the recess, with many thanking Hedspeth for explaining to them how art is vetted and what the department's removal processes are. As planned, the committee did not vote on any ordinances during the subject matter-only hearing.
Chicago Tribune
04-02-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Alderman told to leave City Council meeting after he appeared to call colleague a white supremacist
A City Council debate over whether a controversial pro-Gaza puppet display at the Chicago Cultural Center is antisemitic or a fair expression of free speech descended into disorder Tuesday, with an aldermanic ally of Mayor Brandon Johnson being told to leave the council chambers after he appeared to call another alderman a 'white supremacist.' Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th, who last year was criticized for speaking at a protest rally where an American flag was burned, later Tuesday claimed he said the words 'this is white supremacist' in the direction of Ald. Bill Conway, 34th, and didn't direct his comments to Conway individually. After the comment was made during the committee meeting it was temporarily recessed and neither alderman returned. The committee chair said he told Sigcho-Lopez not to return. The argument capped a four-hour debate about the puppetry exhibit that features a two-sided 'protest puppet' with bloodied caricatures of Uncle Sam and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Writing on the wooden bases holding up the puppet criticizes U.S. financial support for Israel's war efforts in Gaza and labels the characters as 'children killers' and 'murderers.' As many as 28 aldermen, a majority of the City Council, signed a letter last month condemning the puppet display as antisemitic 'hate speech.' But some aldermen during the no-vote hearing criticized that condemnation as an attack on free speech and a waste of time. 'Last time I checked, in America, we should be free to express ourselves,' said Ald. William Hall, 6th. Conway during the debate pressed Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Affairs Commissioner Clinée Hedspeth about the artwork before Sigcho-Lopez chimed in and the two aldermen began a heated back-and-forth during which Sigcho-Lopez said Conway had disrespected Hedspeth. Conway, who represents parts of the Loop, Greektown and Little Italy, had earlier in the debate referenced burning the American flag. Sigcho-Lopez, who represents parts of Pilsen and Little Village, appeared in March in front of a burnt American flag at a pro-Palestinian rally. The flag incident almost cost Sigcho-Lopez his position last year as head of the council's Housing Committee but aldermen eventually voted not to punish him. Sigcho-Lopez at the time said he did not see the burnt flag and was not at the rally when a veteran torched it in protest of the federal government's support of Israel's war in Gaza. After Tuesday's meeting recessed amid shouts from several aldermen for Sigcho-Lopez to be removed, the chairman of the Special Events committee, Ald. Nicholas Sposato, 38th, said, 'You gotta go, out, get out of here!' Sposato later said he 'threw him (Sigcho-Lopez) out.' The committee did not take an official vote to bar Sigcho-Lopez from the meeting. Sigcho-Lopez and Conway spoke privately in a closet behind the council chambers after the exchange. Afterwards, Sigcho-Lopez told reporters the comments were not directed at Conway. Conway later said Sigcho-Lopez apologized and added that he had 'no desire to escalate this.' Hall, who was in the closet room with Sigcho-Lopez, Conway and top Johnson adviser Jason Lee, said the group prayed during their private discussion. He noted that Sigcho-Lopez had said he felt targeted by Conway's comments about the burnt flag. 'Two wrongs don't make a right,' Hall said. 'We need to get to a place where we can disagree and not disrespect.' The ugly exchange set the tone for yet another fraught debate in the City Council over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza almost a year after Johnson cast a tie-breaking vote to make Chicago the largest American city to call for a Gaza ceasefire. The puppet installment was vetted by a panel of arts experts designed to root out biases, Hedspeth said. After hearing complaints last month, the commissioner removed a panel naming the piece 'US-Israel War Machine' and placed sensitivity warnings outside the exhibit, she added. But Hedspeth emphatically defended the decision to so far leave the puppet display up despite pressure. She described the calls for the piece to be removed as efforts to 'bully' and 'silence' artists from a 'small group.' It would be 'anti-American' for someone to unilaterally remove the piece, she told aldermen. Artwork depicting other offensive topics, such as lynching, have been displayed at the building, she added. In one of many sharp disagreements throughout the hearing, Ald. Debra Silverstein, the council's lone Jewish member, asked Hedspeth how she would react if someone tried to install a puppet depicting a bloodied caricature of Johnson to criticize his decision to remove the ShotSpotter gunshot detection system. Hedspeth said she would follow with the same vetting process. 'I would trust the team and the experts,' she answered. Silverstein repeated her demand that the artwork be taken down. There is a difference between making a controversial piece of art and displaying one with taxpayer money, she argued. 'It is not just an art exhibit. It's a statement made in a publicly funded, city-run space, a space intended to welcome tours and represent the value of Chicago,' Silverstein said. 'Let me be very clear: This is not a First Amendment issue.' Aldermen struck a more collegial tone when the meeting continued after the recess, with many thanking Hedspeth for explaining to them how art is vetted and what the department's removal processes are. As planned, the committee did not vote on any ordinances during the subject matter-only hearing.
