Penang Assembly: One Developer Retracts Application For Foreign Worker Hostel In Teluk Kumbar

GEORGE TOWN, May 29 (Bernama) -- One of the two developers has withdrawn the Planning Permission Application (PKM) for a foreign worker dormitory in Teluk Kumbar near here on May 9, the Penang State Legislative Assembly was told today.

State Local Government and Town and Country Planning Committee chairman H'ng Mooi Lye said Zantalite Enterprise (M) Sdn Bhd submitted the PKM for the workers' dormitory on Nov 16.

However, he said that the Penang City Council (MBPP) has approved PKM for the proposal to build a 27-storey worker's dormitory building block with 512 units in Teluk Kumbar submitted by another developer, Tetuan Chong Company Sdn Bhd.

"However, the approval of Planning Permission (Form C1) has not yet been issued by MBPP to Chong Company Sdn. Bhd because this company has not met the conditions set by MBPP," he said when winding up the debate on the motion of thanks for the opening speech of Penang Yang diPertua Negeri Tun Ahmad Fuzi Abdul Razak at the State Legislative Assembly meeting here today.

He explained that all dormitory projects must comply with the technical conditions set in the PKM and that applications submitted must carry out a Social Impact Assessment (SIA) and a Traffic Impact Assessment (TIA).

The state government had previously confirmed that it had received two applications from developers for a worker's dormitory construction project in the Teluk Kumbar involving the construction of a 27-storey block of worker's dormitory buildings by Chong Company and a 30-storey building by Zantalite Enterprise.

However, residents around the area objected to the dormitory construction plan, including using legal action in court besides submitting a protest memorandum to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in February.

-- BERNAMA