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New Straits Times

Penang defends condo plan amid outcry over Boon Siew Villa demolition [WATCH]

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang government has confirmed that all technical and safety requirements have been met for a luxury condominium project along Jalan Batu Ferringhi, despite public concern over traffic congestion and safety in the area. The Ascott Residences project, which will comprise 99 units of high-end condominiums on a narrow stretch of road near a bend, was approved on Nov 20, last year. State Local Government Committee chairman H'ng Mooi Lye said the building plan, together with all conditions set by all technical departments, including the Fire and Rescue Department, was subsequently approved on April 9, this year. This comes after Sahabat Alam Malaysia honorary secretary S. Mageswari told the New Straits Times that they are very concerned that yet another condominium project would be built in Batu Ferringhi. She said SAM believes that development projects such as this should not be approved without a Local Plan to ensure that development and land use planning are properly managed with proper accountability and transparency. "This begs the question of how these projects are being approved by the Penang Island City Council. "Were safety aspects, traffic, density, setback areas to protect the natural shoreline, and environmental considerations taken into account?" she asked. H'ng, in response to concerns about worsening traffic congestion along the already busy Jalan Batu Ferringhi, said the Traffic Impact Assessment (TIA) was conducted and approved on Jan9, this year. "One of the key technical departments involved in the planning approval process is the Fire and Rescue Department, and its conditions must be strictly adhered to. "The building plan has been approved, including the conditions imposed by the Fire and Rescue Department," he told the New Straits Times. The New Straits Times reported today that Penang's rich heritage has once again suffered a blow with the loss of one of its iconic landmarks. The Boon Siew Villa, once a majestic coastal home at Shamrock Beach in Jalan Batu Ferringhi, has been demolished to make way for a luxury development. Hoarding has been erected around the site, and a construction crew has moved in to begin building the 43-storey Ascott Residences Batu Ferringhi condominium project. The loss was felt not just by the people who lived near the villa, which stood as a symbol of old Penang, but also heritage advocates who saw it as another blow to the state's historical landscape. Meanwhile, local historian, former Penang Island City Council councillor, and content creator John Oh expressed sadness over the loss of yet another iconic building, even as he acknowledged the need for development and a strong property industry in Penang. He said, although the villa represents only a recent chapter of 'postwar urban history,' the tragedy associated with it and the stories surrounding the house, familiar to the recent generation, are almost reminiscent of the mysteries found in the novels of Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. "Recognising the significance of this building, when we received information of the development, we decided to do a tribute content on the building so that the stories and memories of this iconic house may be preserved for the future. "We believe we are the last to document the account of the villa before its demolition," he said.