I am pro-development. Sorry to all those who are not pro-development. Let’s agree to disagree for this one. However, I am against over-development yeah. I am also against development without a good business plan which ultimately will kill the project and cause even more issues. Today, we talk about Penang Hill. There will be two new hotels on Penang Hill. This will be an addition to the current 12 rooms which is really too few if we are thinking about really making Penang Hill a must-visit place for all visitors to Penang. You see, if we want people to stay the night, there should be MORE good attractions. However, if we want people to stay the night, there must also be MORE rooms. So, more attractions first or more rooms first?
Penang Hill Corporation (PHC) general manager Cheok Lay Leng assured the public that the two hotels would be developed on existing footprint with no hill clearing involved. He said, “PHC is committed to preserving Penang Hill with careful sustainable developments of key infrastructure. This proposal involved the refurbishment of Convalescent Bungalow and the redevelopment of the 13 dilapidated buildings that used to be workers’ quarters along the Coolie Line (Strawberry Valley) at the hilltop. The two hotels won’t be built from scratch. Neither will it be based on the 1989 proposal where there will be hotels, spa, golf course and a casino built on a slope.” Here’s that report in thestar.com.my
The last sentence by Cheok is NOT needed because if one day Penang Hill is ready to be managed very responsibly, then even more developments could be welcomed. (By the way, Genting Highlands has nothing less than 7,000 rooms if my understanding is correct and I have been to many well managed hills in overseas including even Switzerland; we could do it too!) We should also seriously think of the many hills where the are far lesser developments than Penang Hill and think, ‘Were they responsibly managed, financially and sustainably? Usually, when the management’s bad, the tourists stop coming and the structure become dilapidated and maintenance would then cost lots of money! What I would like PHC to explain would be on the business side as well. The viability in terms of potential revenue, the number of tourists expected, the strict enforcement during the construction and later, maintenance portion. Without all these additional information, it’s a never ending debate really. Happy following.
written on 21 Nov 2018
Next suggested article: Penang’s 10.5km tunnel. PIA to town in 15 minutes. Super.
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