What's the deal, Penang Hill?

What's the deal, Penang Hill? (24 November 2018)


25 November, 2018

On 8 November, 2018, the Chief Minister of Penang announced that two hotels will be built on Penang Hill in 2019. The original announcement appeared in a few mainstream newspapers including New Straits Times (Nov 8) and Malay Mail (Nov 8). Not surprisingly, various party reacted with alarm to the news, as reported by MalaysiaKini (Nov 9), Bernama (Nov 21) and The Edge Property (Nov 22).

When I first heard the news, I too was quite taken aback. Will this spell the end of the greenery that we have all along enjoyed at Penang Hill? Will it now be transformed into some form of Genting Highlands? But instead of joining the others in reacting publicly to the announcement, I sought to seek for more information, if possible, "straight from the horse's mouth."

It so happens that a few weeks back, my friends and I have formed a loose group which we call AnakPinang. It is a group of people who love Penang deeply and do not wish to see its future growth derailed. We managed to get in touch with Mr Cheok Lay Leng. He is the general manager of Penang Hill Corporation, the state agency managing Penang Hill. In other words, he's the guy who will have all the information about the two hotels. We quickly set up an appointment, and Mr Cheok agreed to take AnakPinang members to visit the sites.

My friends and I from AnakPinang gathered at the Penang Hill Lower Station (24 November 2018)


The two hotels mentioned by the Chief Minister are to be located at Coolie Lines and Convalescent Bungalow. I have known of the latter, having visited and photographed it many years back, but I have not been to Coolie Lines before.

My friends and I met up with Mr Cheok at Penang Hill Lower Station, and he ushered us - like VIPs - through the queue and into the funicular. I remember various groups protesting against the introduction of new coaches for the hill railway, but they were nonetheless unveiled on 6 November, 2010. Now, looking at the number of people queueing up to take the train, I see that the authorities made the right decision in the face of protests.

People taking the funicular train for outings on Penang Hill (25 November 2018)


Yesterday, as I got ready to go up Penang Hill, I saw crowds of happy people queuing patiently for the visit. These are people on an outing with their friends and family. People having a good time together. Many are visiting from neighbouring states, and a visit to Penang is incomplete without a trip up Penang Hill.

For some reason, there are people who want to limit the number of people going up Penang Hill. As I sat down on the seat of the funicular train, to be transported up the hill, I reflected on the various reasons given by them, which include people threatening the peace and tranquility, destroying the environment, damaging the ecology, and so on, I suppose these people are genuinely concerned for Penang Hill, and their fear of the unknown causes them to reject change, even change that is possibly for the better. So nervous are they of change that the very idea is rejected the moment it is raised, without allowing room for further discussion.

Not everybody agrees that Penang Hill is so fragile that its ecology is that easily threatened. Quite often, it is those who are distant from Penang Hill who are the most vocal about saving it. On the other hand, the people who actually live and work on Penang Hill - and there's a small community of them - take things as they come. But when calamity does hit the hills, such as the massive landslide of November 2017, the vocal ones are far and absent, while those who pitched in to help clear the rubble are the silent, unsung heroes of the hills. Those are the folks of Penang Hill who spoke little, yet know the hills better than those who spoke aplenty.

Before I could further ponder those thoughts, the train had arrived at Upper Station.

The first place we visited was Coolie Lines. We did not have to go far to reach it. In fact, Coolie Lines is the ravine right in front of Upper Station. We climbed down a flight of stone steps and arrived at a careless cluster of sheds.

Climbing down the steps towards Coolie Lines (24 November 2018)


These were once the living quarters of coolies who worked on Penang Hill. The original inhabitants have long passed on. In their place, foreign worker have come to occupy some of these sheds. Presence of these squatters can be seen from the clothes lines and vegetable gardens.

A few of my AnakPinang friends thought the State Government intended to restore these ramshackle sheds and turn them into a hotel. I sized up the sheds as being neither structurally sound nor aesthetically pleasing to be worth saving. Nor do they harbour any historic significance. And as someone who often review hotels, I would have second thoughts staying in those sheds. Even as I stood there, mosquitoes were already attempting to draw a pint of my blood.

Disused building at Coolie Lines (24 November 2018)


Coolie shed on Penang Hill - I honestly wouldn't want to stay here even if you pay me. (24 November 2018)


Fortunately, Mr Cheok explained to us that as it is, the State Government has not even called for a Request for Proposal (RFP). That means, some time in the future, the State Government will invite interested parties to submit proposals. From the proposals received, the government will then decide who provided the best plan for the site.

What dawned on me at that moment is that the government intended to redevelop a site that was already built on some time in the past. There are no plans to clear or flatten virgin forest. It is comforting thought. Not only that. Now that I have seen the sheds, I couldn't stand them. The sheds are an incredible eyesore, and they are right here, visible to everybody standing at the verandah of Astaka Bukit Bendera.

Coolie Lines is an eyesore in full view of Astaka Bukit Bendera (24 November 2018)


In my mind's eye, I saw the ravine transform into a beautiful garden hotel with facilities that all visitors to Penang Hill can enjoy. It should be a low-lying hotel the hugs the ravine, with trees and plants bursting with flowers. There should not be any high rise to block or mar the views, but instead dainty abodes that blend nicely into the terrain, with the surrounding forest remaining untouched. Of course, it's not for me to decide, but with willpower and vision, this can happen.

From Coolie Lines, we climbed up to Astaka Bukit Bendera. I learned that many of the hawkers at this food court are part of the Penang Hill community, a close knit group with their own places of worship, police station and post office. They are indeed Penang's highland villagers.

We walked south along Jalan Tuanku Yahya Petra. About 600 meters from Astaka Bukit Bendera, we took a side road for another 50 meters or so to reach Convalescent Bungalow. The last time I explored this bungalow was already a few years ago, but little has changed since then. The earliest mention of Convalescent Bungalow was in 1818, but I highly doubt this building is that one. I believe it was rebuilt sometime in the 20th century. Certainly, the finishing is much more recent.

From what I understand, the State Government intends to build a hotel behind this bungalow. So I walked around to the rear to take a look. There was nothing much to see, apart from a corridor towards what I supposed to be the servant quarters. I also peeked inside Convalescent Bungalow. Nothing much in there.

I do not know whether the government plans to keep this bungalow. Its name is significant, for it is related to the purpose the British developed the hills in the beginning. But I believe that original convalescent bungalow is no longer extant. For that reason, it would not bother me too much, if the government decides to tear down this building, on the condition that they build something in its place to remind future visitors that this was where British officers came to convalesce.

The location of the Convalescent Bungalow hotel would be between Jalan Tuanku Yahya Petra and The Habitat Penang Hill. It did cross my mind, would the hotel encroach upon Bukit Kerajaan Forest Reserve? It shouldn't be, because the forest reserve is on the other side of The Habitat, so the location is save. Moreover, it is quite a choice location for a hotel, as it is within sight of Curtis Crest Treetop Walkway. Again, I am envisioning something that blends nicely into the environment, a place where visitors can enjoy a unique highland forest experience that only Penang can offer.

Convalescent Bungalow, Penang Hill (24 November 2018)


On the rear side of Convalescent Bungalow is a corridor towards the servant quarters (24 November 2018)


I could not understand why Coolie Lines and Convalescent Bungalow are allowed to stay abandoned for so long. Was there a difficiency of will or guts? Perhaps we should blame the can't-do mentality of those who fear the unknown. The people who shoots down any idea to develop Penang Hill, without even giving it a chance to be deliberated, are the ones who stand guilty of destroying Penang Hill.

I am reminded of Penang Hill Corporation's vision statement: to make Penang Hill the hill resort of choice in Malaysia. Those are not empty rhetoric, and yet I don't think many people know it. Walking around Penang Hill with Mr Cheok, I am seeing visions of a future that is beautiful and progressive, and I love it. In Mr Cheok himself I see someone who is passionate about the hills, who took this job not so much for the salary, but because he wants to make a difference, to do his part for the Penang he calls home. In the same way, I have been the inofficial face of Penang tourism, hospitality and property for the past fifteen years, because I too want to create a Penang that Penangites can be proud of, and visitors would love to visit or even come to stay.

With Mr Raja of Penang Hill (24 November 2018)

Save Penang Hill, for whom?

This dear uncle is Mr Raja. He has lived and worked in Penang Hill all his life. In fact, he is the 4th generation on Penang Hill, and Penang Hill is his only home. During AnakPinang's visit to Penang Hill, one of our members had a bad leg, so Mr Raja helped to transport him to Convalescent Bungalow on his motorbike.

During the massive Penang Hill landslide of Nov 2017, Mr Raja worked non stop for three days to help with the rescue operations - and he didn't shower for the three days!

When people speak of saving Penang Hill, they often mean the forest and the trees. Seldom do they mean the working-class people, the almost invisible people who collect the trash, remove the dead leaves, and make Penang Hill neat for the visitors.

The Penang Hill Corporation cares for its people. When we speak of saving Penang Hill, it's not just saving it for the birds and the trees, it's also saving it for hard-working people like Mr Raja.

At AnakPinang, we seek to work closely with the state government, to collaborate rather than to antagonise, so that all of us, for richer or for poorer, can have a Penang Hill that we can enjoy together.

Here I am with Mr Cheok Lay Leng, General Manager of Penang Hill Corporation (24 November 2018)


Everything that is wonderful starts with a brilliant idea. Nurtured by able hands, the idea germinates into something that all may enjoy. To see that to fruition, I urge those who fear the unknown, who so lack confidence in the capabilities of Penangites, to put their reservations at bay. Give those with brilliant ideas a chance to shine. Our Penang needs positive dreamers.

I am certainly keen to see the two hotels, so that more people will be able to enjoy the beauty and wonders of Penang Hill. And instead of destroying the hills, this investment of passion will result in better care and appreciation for the hills. I sought a commitment from Mr Cheok to keep AnakPinang informed as the plans unfold. AnakPinang would love to collaborate so that together, we shall create a better Penang.

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