The following arrived as a comment but since I am involved in this controversy, I am making this a post instead for a greater audience.
teresa
————————-
avril.lavini | | IP: 60.51.5x.xx
Dear Teresa,
I have been following the recent Citizen Nades – Teresa Kok debate with interest. Having read both your articles and his, I would have to say that I did not feel very comfortable with the manner that Citizen Nades wrote.
From a general reader’s perspective, his article was harsh, one-sided and sweeping. The good apples are mixed with the bad ones. Parties of good standing are unfairly being painted in the same light. It seems that all developers are a dirty lot, period.
It does not matter whose call it is for a meeting. What matters is that the developers also have the right to be heard. He failed to see that the developers also comprise of rakyat with voting rights and the current administration is only doing their duty to listen to their side of the story and to see to their needs. The key is to balance everybody’s needs although you can’t please everyone all the time.
There is no difference between the landowners of hillslopes and landowners around hillslopes. Both are simply rich landowners. If the landowners of hillslopes must give up his property in the name of the ‘environment,’ so must landowners surrounding hillslopes. Landowners of hillslopes have always allowed their property to be green (and will have to continue to do so), but landowners living around hillslopes are already guilty of clearing a then green area to make home. Since the ban on hillslope developments stands, the landowners surrounding hillslopes that are so fervent about the lack of green areas, should volunteer to give up their homes, have the area demolished and replanted with trees to enlarge the green lung and give back what they have taken all these years.
Contrary to what Nades said, the rakyat does NOT have the right to assume. They have the responsibility to find out the truth. The rakyat, however, have the right to question. The objective of the write-up is clearly to apply pressure. Relevance, proof, and facts are all secondary. But then, the notorious duo, are probably too cowardly to admit this.
As a rakyat, I urge you not to let their bully put aside your practice of fairness.
I want to take this oppotunity to highlight some immediate dangers. Any natural slope that is exposed to the elements is at risk of landslide. Trees with horizontal roots are subject to collapse and lend weight causing an even serious landslide. If you’ve been driving up to Fraser’s Hill as much as I have, you would have suffered roadblocks as a result of fallen trees. That is why slopes are engineered for better safety. Delayed works at hillslopes are extremely dangerous to the residents living below it. The stop work orders have left slopes exposed and come the rainy season (which is now!), I certainly fear for the lives of these residents. When disaster strikes, the self-proclaimed ‘heros’ who are responsible for delaying these works will have to justify the potential risks they are putting on these residents by preventing proper engineering of slopes.
I’m sure your conscience will never be cleared if you did not do anything to prevent such disaster.
avril.lavini article makes me want to laugh, he is either too ignorant or stupid. The developer who has bought hillslopes or owned them should know fully well that according to the hillslopes of certain gradients cannot be developed, if not for PR taken over the government they would have been laughing to the bank together with Khir toyol and his EXCOs goons.
avril.lavini further argued that “the landowners surrounding hillslopes that are so fervent about the lack of green areas, should volunteer to give up their homes, have the area demolished and replanted with trees to enlarge the green lung and give back what they have taken all these years.” What has the present owners of the houses got to do with the law. Take Damasara 21, the landslide
recently has threathen the houses on the foot of the hills while the developer were cutting the hills. So ur argument would be because the developers wants to built the hillslopes all houses at the foot have to be demolished. What an illogical and stupid point to make.
sorry 3line should be “…..according to the law hillslopes……”
Everyone is entitled to comment what he thinks is correct.Comments like IGNORANT OR STUPID should not be used.It is easy to make comments in the comforts of your home.If the party is so concerned on the environment, a strong protest should be made before the project started.
Anyone can comment after the damage has been done.
One has to remember that Citizen Nades has to beholden to people signing his pay cheque.
Hillslope developement is possible if MONEY is spent on the proper drainage system. This is a very very expensive item and most developers are looking at the Balance Sheet.
There is also the GREED factor where maximum profit is the ultimate aim.
When you clear a land some vegetation must not be disturbed but then it is easier to bulldoze every standing vegetation rather than selective. It is cheaper to clear all vegetation rather being selective.
The drainage system has to be the priority rather than look into it when the damage occurs, by then it too late and expensive to correct.
I written on this piece before that YB Kok just did what she is suppose to do and what the previous adminstration did not – give both sides the chance to air their view.
Oriental Daily subsequently reported that the Menteri Besar let both the environmentalist and developers have a meeting and heard them out together. A decision is still pending but Tan Sri Khalid said that Teresa and Ronnie just provided an avenue for both side to be heard – a tenet of democracy and good governance.
I also mentioned that in a democracy, everybody is entitled to be make mistake but Nadeswaran denied himself a chance to put things right. He should have responded in the Sun on YB Kok’s challenge. Citizen Nadeswaran had been chasing various officials in the previous administration for explanation but the current key EXCO member replied voluntarily, he disappeared.
By the way, who financed his trip to Switzerland and Austria during Euro 2008? If it is his personal coffers or his employer’s funding then fine, none of our business except perhaps his missus.
lbl wrote,
” Everyone is entitled to comment what he thinks is correct.Comments like IGNORANT OR STUPID should not be used.It is easy to make comments in the comforts of your home.”
Yes I agreed, everyone is entitled to his comment on what he thinks is correct, but can we accept illogical comment like if u want to protect the environment then scarifice your home because the developer want to built more homes in contravention of the laws. So the logic is stop the developers and bulldozed your home? If its not stupid rationale what is? “Because of anger over mosquitoes we burnt the net” Then u turn around and say that u shouln’t make comments in the comfort of ur home. Yeah, should u demostrate in the streets then and u know what the police is goonna to do.
and lbl continued
“If the party is so concerned on the environment, a strong protest should be made before the project started.”
That’s the intention in the past for a public hearing to be convened but the ExCO and the previous MB hijacked the approval without the residents knowing it until the hill started to be bulldozed. Same as the land grabbed in Bandar Utama hijacked under the noses of the residents.
“Anyone can comment after the damage has been done”
Well as u have stated earlier there must be freedom of speech and therefore a right to comment. Rationally of course.
“One has to remember that Citizen Nades has to beholden to people signing his pay cheque.”
Well we all knows that Vincent Tan is also a developer through BJ corp and BJ land. As far a I know he has be impartial in his comment so far. Maybe Teresa would know whether the companies under BJ land and corp have tried to contact her for favours in respect of land and development deals.
and finally lbl wrote,
“Hillslope developement is possible if MONEY is spent on the proper drainage system. This is a very very expensive item and most developers are looking at the Balance Sheet.
There is also the GREED factor where maximum profit is the ultimate aim.
When you clear a land some vegetation must not be disturbed but then it is easier to bulldoze every standing vegetation rather than selective. It is cheaper to clear all vegetation rather being selective.
The drainage system has to be the priority rather than look into it when the damage occurs, by then it too late and expensive to correct.”
U just said them Money and GREED motivates man to find the maximum profits in doing business or rather in selling the houses. Why can’t the developer follow the rules? They just don’t want to cos they are greedy for more profits at the expense of the environment. To find some loopholes from the authorities to either make more money or to recover their losses from buying high gradient land knowing fully well that the current state government will not approved the project.
“Yes I agreed, everyone is entitled to his comment on what he thinks is correct, but can we accept illogical comment like if u want to protect the environment then scarifice your home because the developer want to built more homes in contravention of the laws. So the logic is stop the developers and bulldozed your home? If its not stupid rationale what is? “Because of anger over mosquitoes we burnt the net” Then u turn around and say that u shouln’t make comments in the comfort of ur home. Yeah, should u demostrate in the streets then and u know what the police is goonna to do.”
If new era feels strongly over the hill slope development, put your money where your mouth is. Be like the Hindraf and not be afraid to make your point heard. Not in the comfort of your home and pass judgement on others.
My sole purpose in answering to your comments is to say we must not pass judgement on comments made by the other party. Sure, you can debate to say that the other party is not correct. Are you qualified in saying that the other party is IGNORANT AND STUPID?
Teresa, REDHA has a very powerful lobby with the BN government.
Do you know that the Build Then Sell concept is now stood on its head?
It’s quite certain that the lobby is working overtime.
All the good work done by the HBA to protect house-buyers has been completely undone.
THAT’S POWER! RAW POWER FOR YOU!!
Please check out the following:
http://www.malaysianbar.org.my.
yes, REDHA has powerful members and who and who among the riches people in Malaysia. Combine they can buy the entire selangor. Be forewarned.