Stop Polluting The Sea

CJ Jimmy Leow followed the traces of domestic and industrial waste from the heart of Bayan Lepas industrial area which was flushed out to the open sea via several channels. Imagine the poison going out to sea and the effects to marine life and fauna.

Illegal Dumping At Hillside

CJ Jimmy Leow stumbled on four huge illegal dumping sites located at the hillside of Bayan Baru, Penang. The worst part is, there is this beautiful stream located at the bottom of the hill and it will be destroyed if such illegal dumping continues. Citizen Journalism Malaysia hopes that the related government agencies with take the necessary actions to save this stream and put those involved in this act behind bars.

KAWAN, a friend to the poor

A video clip done by Citizen Journalists Chan Lilian and I at KAWAN, located at 37 Love Lane, Penang. A place where a group of concerned people gets together and help the poor. If you think you can help the poor, please donate to the organization. Details in the video.

Balik Pulau Highway In A Limbo

Based on gathered information, the project was supposed to be completed within the 4th quarter of 2008, but until now, not an inch of this highway is usable. What is holding back the progress of this multi million project or will it become a structure waiting to be swallowed by the jungle of Balik Pulau, Penang?

Abandoned Highway In A Limbo

I used the old road to Balik Pulau via Teluk Kumbar very frequently and it just did not hit me that there was so much to do as far as the new highway construction was concerned. Maybe it was the gradual change in landscape that did the trick. Taking a lead from my fellow Citizen Journalist, Owen Koh, a team of CJs ventured into the very heart of Balik Pulau and after making good a few assignments, Owen Koh, Chan Lilian and I, took a drive along the old road towards Teluk Kumbar to witness the “half cooked” highway. One requires to blur off all the natural beauty of the hills and the greens of Balik Pulau and focus on the devastating condition of the abandoned highway.

Signs of landslides are frequent from the evidence gathered which we can observed from the side of the hills and it can only get worse with the prolonged halt of this project.

There was this section of the road  which is so narrow that it can only allow a one way flow of traffic from both directions. This can only be done with several traffics lights and these lights are manned by foreign workers. Based on my interview with a foreign “traffic controller”, it seems these narrow roads are monitored 24 hours. When asked if there was any kind of recent construction, he answered no. It seems there was no progress for the past 1 year or so.

At present, the old road  has also a lot of dangerous corners and there was one in particular which I highlighted in my short clip “Abandoned Highway Scars Balik Pulau”. The edge of this road has a drop of at least 30 metres and the worse part is there was not permanent barrier to stop motorists from driving into the ravine.

Since there was a new road construction near this section of the road, a line of plastic barriers were placed. If motorists are not careful, they may rammed through the plastic barriers and plunged into the ravine, a fatal plunge I am sure.

I was able to see these because this time around I rode a motorcycle and try to understand and feel the actual situation. I managed to get close up shots of the abandoned highway and it was shocking indeed.

Based on gathered information, the project was supposed to be completed within the 4th quarter of 2008, but until now, not an inch of this highway is usable. What is holding back the progress of this multi million project or will it become a structure waiting to be swallowed by the jungle of Balik Pulau, Penang?

Toll, Toll, Toll Everywhere

I have already spent at least RM 35.00 on toll fees travelling within Selangor this two days. Everywhere you go there is sure to have some one asking for money. RM0.60 here, RM2.20 there, RM 1.60 here.

But by paying these fees, you are rewarded with a smooth drive on the superhighways specially from KL to Shah Alam or Klang to PJ. I think Selangor and KL has the best highways by far. Well, looking at the traffic on the "normal" roads, it will be more expensive to queue and waste fuel, not to mention killing ourselves with pollution. I just came back from Subang Jaya and it was a relieve to return back to KL via the KESAS. Ok, have to pay of course, but it save me time, not that I am rushing to another appointment, again it was to avoid the big city traffic. I guess all great cities do have such issues and it is an ever lasting problem with no significant solution at sight. 

So, for those people who complain about traffic jams in some other states, try surviving one in KL. I was working in KL for 15 years before stay put in Penang and I must say that the traffic jam in KL is here to stay. With more and more influx of "anak anak kampung" from other states flocking into KL, working here, getting married here and having a family here, it is impossible to to reduce people and traffic. I think if the whole population of KL rides a bicycle, it would looked like Beijing, well may be 10 years back. 

One thing good about traffic jam is probably it teaches us to have patience.