Historic Ayer Tawar might be Destroyed

[jiinjoo]

How? Here's what cquayhl has gathered so far:

Save Ayer Tawar
Stop the Ipoh to Lumut Highway Construction

What's Going On?
The Government is planning a new six-lane highway from Ipoh to Lumut.

The highway was originally supposed to bypass Ayer Tawar, but the Government is now short of funds.

Therefore the highway will pass through Ayer Tawar. The four-lane Main Road will be expanded to accomadate the highway.

Seventy shopkeepers have been informed that their shophouses will be will be acquired and demolished to build this highway.

These shophouses are among the oldest buildings in Ayer Tawar.

By law, the Government is allowed to do this 'for development purposes' as long as people are 'adequately compensated', which they usually are.

However, only the front half of these shops will be acquired. The shopkeepers will be left with half plots of land.

Even if the shopkeepers all managed to start goreng pisang stalls on their half plots of land, business will probably suffer as patrons currently park in front of the shops.

It is not clear whether the Government is planning to construct car parks or even overhead bridges for pedestrians.

This will pose a poblem for schoolchidren as all three schools in Ayer Tawar are on the same side of the road.

The mortality rate due to cars speeding through Ayer Tawar on their way somewhere else is already high, although the installation of two traffic lights has helped. It had been hoped that a new highway bypassing Ayer Tawar would make the situation even better.

One hundred and twenty people have demonstrated in Ipoh to no avail.

Full article she pulled together thus far: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/~chquay/highway.htm
Great job btw!!

Do you think we can help? Which side will you stand on in such an issue?

[jiinjoo]

Here's a statement by DAP (missed out in previous post). Too bad we only found the chinese version...

http://www.dapmalaysia.org/cnet/2004/04feb/04feb25-1nkm.html

Lazy to translate, (weird that they don't have an English/Malay translation)... Anyone care to help summaries?

[gohweihan]

Things like this happens all the time.

I would say it's the problem the government would have to work out without having to burden the people in that town. Just because the government has no funds, it doesn't mean that they can go into someone's shop, compensate him, and then take away what has been his, all under the name of development.

The roads might be important, but the peoples' way of life (and livelihood) is at stake.

If the government has no funds, find ways to get them, or scrap the project altogether.

[kucingbiru]

well, now ayer tawar, nanti my house pon kena runtuh utk buat highway. how many highways do we need? why are they so crazy about building highways.

[digimushu]

Hrm...
In the US, the highways are made so that in the event of war, they can land their planes anywhere...could our government be contemplating the same thing? *GasP*

[windy_city]

If the government has no funds, find ways to get them, or scrap the project altogether.

I disagree with what you said.

The highway is public goods, and it has a positive spillover effect. If both sides are properly compensated, I do not see any reason why the highway should not be build. As engineer/economist, we are constantly finding way to maximize our utility. Scrap the project is not the way to maximize the utility.

For example, this reasoning applies to pollution as well. Should we shut down all the factories that create pollution? The answer is obviously no. We are required to tolerate some level of pollution in the name of progress. As long as the ?sacrifice? is reasonable, we should go ahead. I know this sound a bit inhumane, but this is how the society works!

[chenchow]

Personally, my stand on this issue would be that the government should go ahead with the highway, with an exit near Ayer Tawar. I don't think people's life would be endangered, unless they try to climb over the place and cross over the highway (which is illegal, right?)

I think building a pedestrian overhead bridge would be a good way to do. And I would say that they should be duly compensated for what they have.

When other highways in Malaysia was built, the same issue was brought up too... be it North South Highway or other highways...

And having the highway passing through the town would mean that it could help generate lots of revenue. Tourists to Pangkor Island could stop at Ayer Tawar exit and have meals there etc...

[gohweihan]

No one is denying that a highway would do the public good. But then, if they'd stick to the original plan of bypassing Ayer Tawar (with probably an exit there), then it would be fine.

But then, for it to pass through the town, that would pose some trouble to the people. The thing is, if the government cannot get enough funds to develop the highway as of original specification, then the people should not bear the burden as an effect. Instead, the government should find their way of getting the funds to construct the original plan.

It might seem like when the highway passes through the town, it would provide revenue to the people. However, until the plan for this project is released and reviewed (i.e. the exits, lane constructions, parking facilities, road levels, etc.) we would not know whether that would be the case. Usually, decisions by the people would be witheld until that plan is released.

But then again, if the people of Ayer Tawar (especially the people directly involved) agrees to the compensation scheme, then the project should go on, as it would also be their choice to agree to the construction.