Penang Forum

The Second Penang Forum was held on 7th March at Kompleks Masyarakat Penyayang, Penang.

You can download all of the material including reports, slides and papers below; or view the schedule here.

Kwong Wah, 10 March 2010

（槟城蔡昌卫8日讯）地方政府工作小组负责人吴万励博士表示，他认为槟州民联政府可在明年成立一个“独立遴选委员会”，以遴选出槟威市政局两地市议员人选。

他是出席“槟城论坛第二”研讨会时，如是向本报记者指出。他表示，由于今年的市议员已经委任了，必须等至年杪届满，所以他认为明年的市议员人选可通过该小组所建议的独立遴选委会来进行市议员遴选工作。

他也认为，作为起始努力，可先从市议员的遴选开始，这个遴选委会成员可由州政府委任，州政府可制定市议员人选的遴选标准。他表示，在建议下所有公众皆可自行提名或是建议他人接受遴选为市议员。

据他了解，槟州地方政府委员会主席曹观友行政议员很认真在推动成立独立遴选委员会工作，而他发现曹观友也有积极的推动有效率的地方政府。他举例，其中在曹观友的努力下，已取消了所有州议员可折扣市政局传票的权限。

他表示，一旦成立独立遴选评估委员会，至少能分开目前对州政府的指责，比如只委任本身的党员或支持者，所以一旦落实独立遴选肯定会对民联政府是一种“牺牲”。

theSun, 7 March 2010

GEORGE TOWN: The impact of widespread federalism, or entrenched federal government powers in state affairs, is a serious concern that needs to be looked into, a forum to assess the Pakatan Rakyat’s two-year rule in Penang heard today.

Several NGO activists expressed concern over various matters in which the federal government exercised undue control, leaving the state authorities out of important local matters they should be handling.

Participants at the forum 'Penang: Has anything changed after two years? organised by the Penang Forum Working Group, today passed two resolutions.

First, they welcomed and supported the call by the Penang state government to hold local council elections. To this end, they called on the Elections Commission to respond positively to the state government's request that they carry out such elections. In the interim period, they called upon the Penang state government to increase the representation of public-interest NGOs to at least five each in the MPPP and the MPSP.

Date: Sunday, 7 March 2010 
Time: 8.30am
Venue: Kompleks Masyarakat Penyayang, Penang                                    
Organiser: Penang Forum Working Group

The call in 8 March 2008 was for change. The Pakatan Rakyat has ruled Penang since then. Two years later, what has changed? What has the new Penang State Government achieved or has it lost its way? Are there obstacles we don’t know about? How has the State Government responded to calls from civil society, not least the Penang Forum, for changes in the Penang Agenda? Where are we up to and what can we map out for ourselves and for the State Government?

The Penang Forum Working Group cordially invites you to participate in this timely stock take and make suggestions for the betterment of Penang.

Registration fees (incl. vegetarian lunch and tea):  RM10 per person (RM5 for students, disabled persons and pensioners). Participants are required to pre-register their attendance at the Aliran office via either telephone  04-6585251 or through the email: aliran@streamyx.combefore 5 March 2010.

 

The Penang Forum is an informal network of Penang based NGOs and individuals who came together in April 2008 to chart a possible way forward for Penang.  The Penang Forum Declaration

and the recommendations from 11 working groups (Environmental, Heritage, Transport, Women, Youth and Students, Person with Disabilities, Labour, The Arts, Local Government, Health and Goodwill)  were presented to the State Government in March 2009 (www.penangforum.net).      

Programme

Penang: Has Anything Changed After 2 Years? 
Sunday, 7 March 2010, Kompleks Masyarakat Penyayang, Organiser: Penang Forum Working Group

 

8.15 - 9.00am Registration

9.00 - 9.10am Welcome

9.10 - 10.40am   Overview of the Challenges 

                                    Chair: Ahmad Chik

Federal-State relations: Francis Loh 
Budget and Economy: Lim Mah Hui 
What has been Achieved: Lim Kah Cheng 
Missed Opportunities: Anil Netto 
Open Discussion (30 mins)

10.45 - 11.15am   Coffee Break

11.15 - 11.45am The Penang Forum Experience: James Lochhead Chair: Loh-Lim Lin Lee Open Discussion (15 mins)

11.45 - 12.30pm Transport: A Case Study: Ahmad Chik Chair: Laurence Loh Open Discussion (30 mins)

12.30 - 2.00pm Lunch

2.00 - 3.00pm Seberang Prai Issues 
                                    
                                    Chair: Kris Khaira

 

Housing and Flooding: Sarajun Hoda 
Environment and Youth: (to be confirmed) 
Development and Labour: T. Jayabalan 
Open Discussion (20 mins)

3.00 - 4.00pm   Local Democracy & Local Plan: Peoples’ Involvement Chair: Loh CK 

Opportunities for Local Democracy: Lim Kah Cheng 
Examples of Local Democracy in Selangor: Ong Jing Cheng 
The Penang Local Plan: Goh Ban Lee 
Open Discussion (20 mins)

4.00 - 5.00pm Moving forward 
Facilitators: Soon Chuan Yean and Prema Devaraj 
Group Discussion (30 mins) 
Open Discussion (30 mins)

5.00pm Tea and Close
 

Dear Friends of the Penang Forum, 1. As many of you may be aware, the Penang Forum working group representatives met with the CM of Penang in March this year and submitted the Penang Forum Report to the State Government. Since then some groups have separately lobbied their respective State Executive councillors, while others have carried on implementing some of their recommendations with the state and some groups have not had further dealings with the state. Some people involved in the Penang Forum have worked in their individual capacities with the state while others have worked through their respective organisations. Over the last few months, there have been efforts by the state to govern better. However there are also instances where state action or inaction has frustrated civil society efforts for a better Penang. Now more than ever we need to continue efforts to engage with the state if we are to pursue the vision we have for Penang.

This is the Report presented to the Penang State Government in early 2009. It contains the recommendations of the eleven working groups.

We, the Penang NGOs, community groups and concerned individuals who participated in the Penang Forum of NGOs on April 13th at Disted College, hereby declare: i. We congratulate the Pakatan Rakyat coalition on its victory in the 12th General Election and welcome the opportunity to work with the current Penang State Government to further good governance of our state.

14 May 2008 Yang Amat Berhormat Saudara Lim Guan Eng Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang Pejabat Ketua Menteri Tingkat 28, KOMTAR, Pulau Pinang Yang Amat Berhormat Ketua Menteri, Penang Forum, 13 April 2008 and Declaration of the Penang Forum On 13 April 2008 over 160 people from 40 different NGOs attended the day-long Penang Forum at Disted College, Jalan Macalister. We attach a copy of the said programme.

Please download this PDF to view the programme.