Penang MCA regrets lack of response to memorandum on location of hot air balloon

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang MCA regretted that the state government did not give any response to the protest memorandum on the location of the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta programme handed over to Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng at the end of January.
The chairman of the Complaints Bureau of the Penang MCA Youth, Ooi Teik Liang said the bureau reiterated that the organising of the annual fiesta at the Polo Ground opposite the Penang General Hospital (HPP) was unsuitable and should be stopped.
"We received nine complaints from family members of patients who were unhappy that they were caught in a traffic congestion for about 20 minutes while trying to take patients to the hospital," he told reporters here today.
He said the noise coming from the fiesta area had also disturbed the patients at the hospital.
In addition, he said, the 1,200 parking lots provided by the organisers were inadequate and resulted in vehicles being parked illegally and causing traffic congestions.
"The Polo Ground was also the landing site for helicopters sending emergency patients to the Penang General Hospital and is definitely unsuitable to hold the hot air balloon fiesta there," he said.
The Penang Hot Air Balloon Fiesta held at the Polo Ground on Feb 4 and 5 recently was the third time it was held since 2015. — Bernama