Penang Legislative Assembly meeting expected to be a heated one

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang Legislative Assembly meeting which begins tomorrow is expected to be a heated one.
Giving an air of urgency to the proceedings is the possibility the current meeting may be the last one for this session as the spectre of the 14th General Elections looms.
Among the issues expected to raise temperatures in the chamber is that of Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng having to take leave pending his trial over accusations of graft and abuse of power.
The Penang Barisan Nasional (BN) is expected to press home this point after two motions to compel the chief minister, civil servants and administrators to go on leave if they are charged with criminal offences were rejected.
Speaker Datuk Law Choo Kiang is expected to explain the decision to reject the motions when the assembly convenes.
With that in mind, the issue of term limits for the person holding the chief ministership is also expected to arise.
This issue is not new as Tanjung Bungah assemblyman Teh Yee Cheu of the DAP has been raising it in previous proceedings but it has not gained much traction among state government lawmakers.
Another matter which is expected to see heated exchanges is the motion to censure Tasek Gelugor MP Datuk Shahbudin Yahaya for his remarks over marriage and rape during parliamentary debates earlier this year.
His state BN colleagues are expected to defend their parliamentary colleague while Penang government backbenchers press the point.
It can be safe to say current issues will be raised one of which is the RM2billion medical facility investment to be built at Peel Avenue here.
The investment has attracted a lot of attention as the hospital sits on state land, which some quarters have questioned why the land has not been used for affordable housing instead.
In line with that, the matter of affordable housing has a high possibility of being debated, an issue close to the heart of many in land-scarce Penang, where related points of density, zoning and land use are constantly being talked about.
Another subject is the RM27 billion the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP), not so much the PTMP per se but the financial model of it, as three islands of the south coast of Penang island are proposed to be reclaimed to fund the massive project.
Environmentalists, NGOs, fishermen and other parties have expressed their concerns over the massive reclamation project which is said to be sited on breeding grounds for marine life.
Also on environmental topics is the fate the Pulau Jerejak, an island off the Penang coast, which used to be among others, a leprosy colony under the British colonial administration and a penal colony post-1969.
The island is under the spotlight after UDA Holdings Bhd reportedly entered in a joint-venture agreement with Q Islands Development (QID) to redevelop Jerejak Rainforest and Spa Resort and 32.37ha of land surrounding it into a mixed development.
As such, political observers, environmentalists, civil society and other parties will be keeping a close eye on what may be one of the most exciting Penang legislature sessions yet.