GEORGE TOWN: The state government should restructure the Penang State Park (Botanic) Corporation to make it a non-commercial entity like the one in Singapore, says a non-governmental organisation. The NGO, a coalition of 20 environmental and civil rights organisations, explained that the Singapore Botanic Gardens was under the Singapore National Parks Board while the billion-dollar Gardens by the Bay is a specially built tourism product managed by a completely independent corporation. It also suggested that the Special Area Plan (SAP) for the Penang Botanic Gardens legislative exercise be terminated as it is merely a local plan with detailed guidance for its implementation and management and not a master plan. Penang Forum said it also rejected the proposal for a base station for the Penang Hill cable car system within the grounds of Penang Botanic Gardens, which was not listed in the SAP’s executive summary draft during public exhibition. Plans to corporatise the 133-year-old Penang Botanic Gardens are causing the public to worry about the famous landmark, including whether the public will have to pay to visit the facility in future.

Source: The Star December 11, 2017 01:18 UTC