Jobs don't drop from the sky #4

I introduced myself to Razali, who was taking a break at the beach after coming back from the sea.

Razali, 51, is a fisherman at Penang south. He began working at the sea when he was 12.

Razali told me that he had previously applied to work in the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project but didn't get it.

I asked him, why a fisherman like him, who has worked for 39 years in the sea, wanted to quit and work for PSR?

Razali solemnly replied that there's no future as a coastal fisherman.

Although there's no reclamation in the southern sea right now (PSR hasn't started), Razali said that the catch in the area has been declining over the years.

"Hidup nelayan sekarang susah," he said.

Razali wanted to switch to jobs with better prospect, that's why he applied to work for PSR.

"Dapat kerja kat PSR bagus juga," said Razali.

However, PSR doesn't have any more opening right now. There'll only be more jobs once the reclamation work begin.

But Penang Forum together with PAS and Gerakan are lobbying hard to cancel PSR, wanting to eliminate the chances for local fishermen like Razali to have a better life.

I hope that the PSR will soon receive the necessary approval from federal agencies so that fishermen like Razali can benefit from the project.

Note: This 'Jobs don't drop from the sky' series uncovers real life stories of how actual Penangites from all walks of life are benefiting from the Penang South Reclamation project.

#1 : Abang Sam (former fisherman)

#2 : Pakcik Ismail & Mat (former fishermen)

#3 : Nina (young graduate with a degree in agricultural science)

Jobs don't drop from the sky #3

This is Nina from Teluk Kumbar, Penang. Young and intelligent, graduated with a degree in agricultural science.

The job market was bad when she came out from university. Instead of a permanent position near home, she had to do contract work at Putrajaya, far from home.

When her father was hospitalised, Nina had to leave her job to return to Penang, to be close to her family.

Fortunately at that time, the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project, launched by the Penang State Government, had job openings. Nina applied and was hired.

This is her first permanent position.

With better salary, Nina can now help to shoulder some of the financial burden of her family and have more savings.

"Sekarang save a lot," she said.

Nina told me that there are currently more than 800 job applications to work in PSR. Yes, 800!

Unlike those rich spokepersons of Penang Forum, many people are actually looking for jobs.

Previously, Nina objected against the PSR too. But after her own experience of working in the project and seeing the potential jobs that PSR can generate, she now thinks that the critics of PSR must learn to see the bigger picture.

"PSR can create a lot of jobs. More jobs after reclamation started, even more after it is completed. Penangites who want to stay near their family, not wanting to move out from Penang to make a living, can apply for jobs in PSR."

Nina continued, "Those affected by the pandemic, got terminated, they can also apply."

If the PSR is cancelled, all the potential new jobs will not exist.

And Nina will lose her permanent position.

Note: This 'Jobs don't drop from the sky' series uncovers real life stories of how actual Penangites from all walks of life are benefiting from the Penang South Reclamation project.

#1 : Abang Sam (former fisherman)

#2 : Pakcik Ismail & Mat (former fishermen)

Jobs don't drop from the sky #2

I met a pair of father and son who work in the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project.

The father, Pakcik Ismail, had served in the military for 15 years before becoming a fisherman.

The livelihood of a fisherman was tough – even for an ex-soldier. Income was unstable, catch was unpredictable.

“Kalau tak pi laut, siapa nak bagi duit? Nasib kerja laut,” he said.

Pakcik was a fisherman for almost 20 years, living off the mercy of the sea. Then he found his current job with PSR, and has never failed to receive his salary every month in the past 5 years.

His son, Mat, began following him to the sea in his teens.

Didn’t want to resign his life to the sea, Mat worked in various jobs and eventually became a driver. However, he lost that and became unemployed for six months.

That was a dark period for him, his wife, and their two children. Mat struggled to provide for them.

“Tak mampu bagi apa yang mereka mahu. Rasa pahit,” he said. Relatable to many breadwinners who recently lost their job due to the pandemic.

The turning point came when Mat found his present employment in the PSR project. He can now provide for this family and has an EPF account – something which he had never had.

Pakcik and Mat told me that they were glad to have found jobs other than fishing. I asked them, why?

Both of them went silent for a while before Pakcik began to speak again.

He told me that during one of their fishing trips many years ago, Mat fell into the sea and almost drown. Their boat was hit by strong waves and Mat tripped over.

Pakcik Ismail quickly threw a rope into the sea for Mat to pull himself back. He shouted helplessly directing Mat to grab the lifeline.

Being bombarded by strong waves, Mat was struggling to get hold of the rope.

“Telan air sampai tak larat telan.”

Luckily, Mat managed to grab the rope and pulled himself back into the boat. That was the single most terrifying experience the father and son had.

That’s why Mat wished for his children to further their studies so that they don’t have to be fishermen. His eldest son wanted to be a doctor.

“Takkan ikut life kita lagi,” he said.

Pakcik Ismail interjected, “Harap-harap projek PSR ini on lah. Ini untuk masa depan anak cucu kita.”

Penang's Esplanade seawall upgrade

This morning I passed by the seawall upgrading site at Esplanade.

I saw violent giant waves pounding unceasingly onto the new seawall (watch the video).

If left on its own, the old seawall would collapse sooner or later — dangerous to many visitors.

The development of the new seawall, as I later discovered, began construction in 2019 by the Penang State Government.

The project will strengthen the area's coastal defense, protecting the popular promenade for visitors.

According to YB Jagdeep Singh Deo (State Exco for Local Government) the construction cost of the 570m seawall was RM12.2 million. I think this is a commendable initiative by the State Government for the good of the public.

The seawall upgrade is expected to complete by the end of this year.

After that, single Penangites can resume the annual Chap Goh Mei tradition of throwing mandarin oranges at the Esplanade, provided no more Covid-19.

Penang South Islands create jobs in Penang

Job opportunities don't drop from the sky. They are created through development, driven by progressive policy, financed by the supply and demand forces in the market.

Recently, the Penang South Islands (PSI) project was reported to generate 15,000 new jobs from the construction work of the first island. [1]

Although the reclamation hasn't started, I was told that more than 100 Penangites are now hired for the preparation work for PSI. Wanted to find out more, I met up with Abang Sam.

Abang Sam was a full-time fisherman before his present employment for the PSI project.

He shared with me his hard life as a fisherman – with little to no savings, no employees provident fund (KWSP), unstable income. Life was without financial security.

"Pendapatan hanya lepas makan, hanya boleh hidup," he said.

But that's not the worst for him. His most horrific experience as a fisherman was fishing in the open sea during thunderstorm. "Semasa hujan ribut, macam gadai nyawa."

Abang Sam became a fisherman when he was 15 years old. He and his family lived in those conditions, unbearable to many of us, for more than 25 years.

So, when the PSI was launched, Abang Sam applied for a job and got it.

Now he has a stable income every month and doesn't need to re-live the nightmare of fishing in the storm.

The job also provides him with KWSP. He can now plan the finances for his family and his retirement. He even showed me the new motorcycle he just bought six months ago.

"Sekarang ada kemajuan, kewangan boleh bajet."

Abang Sam has four children. The eldest, 18, is currently pursuing a vocational diploma while his youngest is 3 years old.

I asked him, what's his hope for his children? "Anak-anak kena berjaya, sambung belajar, lebih maju untuk masa depan mereka," he said.

Then I asked him what will he do if the PSI project is cancelled?

He said that he wished the project will continue, if not he will have to return to be a fisherman – gadai nyawa dalam hujan ribut.

Penang Forum members and PAS politicians are lobbying to cancel the PSI project. Penang Forum's economist Lim Mah Hui has recently argued that the PSI is a "lose-lose for Penang". [2]

Who is Lim Mah Hui? He is the economist who wears tie and blazer to cycle under Penang's humid weather.

He is the economist who doesn't know about international procurement method of using request-for-proposal as open tender [3], even though it is practiced by global institutions like the United Nations, World Bank, and World Health Organization.

Does he know that the reclamation of the first island under the PSI project will bring in billions of domestic investment into Penang, generate jobs, and stimulate the local economy?

Does he know that Penangites like Abang Sam will become jobless if PSI is cancelled?

Does he know that many other fishermen like Abang Sam can have gainful employment from the PSI?

Job opportunities don't drop from the sky.

Has Penang Forum become an irrelevant group filled with people stuck in the ivory tower, wearing tie and blazer cycling under the hot sun around Penang?

References

[1]https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2021/05/17/project-to-create-15k-jobs

[2]https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2021/05/21/its-lose-lose-for-penang-in-psr-privatisation-plan-says-economist/

[3]https://www.malaymail.com/news/what-you-think/2018/07/29/request-for-proposal-rfp-is-not-open-tender-ahmad-hilmy-and-lim-mah-hui/1657137

Covid-19 has destroyed thousands of jobs, why is Penang Forum stopping job creation?

Penang Forum members have been lobbying hard to cancel development projects that can generate thousands of new job opportunities in Penang.

Their latest statement opposing the Penang South Reclamation (PSR), penned by Khoo Salma, is a disappointing piece, not only because it contains many misleading information but also of its disregard for the wellbeing of Penangites and the future of Penang.[1]

What is misleading? Many, but I shall just point to the one with misleading impression that the State Government is not developing Seberang Perai or optimising mainland for industrial expansion.

The impression is misleading because out of the 10 industrial parks developed by the State Government, 9 of them are located at Seberang Perai.

For further expansion of industrial development, another 1,156 acres of new lots on the mainland were identified for industrial use on top of the initial 2,898 acres that have been allocated.[2]

State Government is optimising the mainland for the state’s economic development, contrary to the false impression given by Penang Forum.

Now, back to job creation.

Generating new jobs is especially important during the current Covid-19 crisis when many Penangites are suffering from retrenchment.

Many are hoping that their savings can last until the crisis is over.

The PSR and the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) have been identified by the Penang Socio-Economic Recovery Consultative Council – comprises of industrial leaders and state leaders – as key recovery drivers to create jobs and stimulate the state’s economy through domestic investment.[3]

I have spoken to those involved in PSR and PTMP and was told that more than 100 Penangites are currently employed for the two projects. That means hundred of families have food on their table because of these projects.

Will Penang Forum be happy when a hundred families go hungry due to the cancellation of the projects as the result of the NGO’s lobby?

I was also told that the first three years of the reclamation will generate another 5,000 new jobs in Penang, which include job opportunities with stable income for the fishermen in the PSR area.

37% of the participants at the walk-in job interview held on 24 April 2021 were fishermen looking for new job opportunities provided by PSR.[4] These chances for a more stable life will be ruined if the PSR is cancelled.

What is Penang Forum trying to prove by wanting to stop job creation in Penang? What do they gain when Penangites have no jobs? 

References

[1]https://www.nst.com.my/opinion/letters/2021/05/689811/penang-south-reclamation-who-does-it-serve
 

[2]https://www.buletinmutiara.com/penang-govt-to-ensure-adequate-supply-of-industrial-lands/ and https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2019/05/02/with-land-for-industries-running-out-we-sorely-need-3-island-project-says-chow/
 

[3]https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2021/02/17/penang-transport-master-plan-part-of-covid-19-recovery-efforts-says-state-e/1950528
 

[4]https://www.facebook.com/pusatperkhidmatansetempatnelayan/posts/4110184375711596

Penang, a gazelle or lion?

Three-time Pulitzer Prize winner Thomas Friedman recounted a story about gazelle and lion in his best-selling book, The World Is Flat:

“Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle: when the sun comes up, you’d better be running.”

Friedman was writing in the early 2000s, describing the rising competitiveness in a globalising world.

The inclusion of China into the World Trade Organization in 2001 has significantly reconfigured the global supply chain and redirected the flow of international investments.

The global economic shift has severely affected Penang, with the number of multinational corporations reduced from 63 firms in 1994 to 23 by 2004, with employment plunged by 69 per cent.[1] 

In 2001 alone, more than 12,000 high-tech jobs disappeared from Penang.[2] 

The change of the state government in 2008 has set Penang on a ten-year recovery phase, culminated in the historic high receipt of manufacturing investments of RM16.9 billion in 2019.[3] 

Penang has also emerged consecutively as the top exporting state in the country in 2019 (RM284 billion) and 2020 (RM310 billion).[4]

Nonetheless, every morning, the gazelle and lion have to outrun each other. China will not cease to be a formidable competitor while Malaysia’s southeast Asian neighbours are rapidly joining the ranks.

An obvious example is Vietnam, listed as the eighth best country for investment in 2019, while Malaysia lags behind at the thirteenth place.[5] The World Bank’s Human Capital Index 2020 reported that Vietnam has surpassed Malaysia by 24 positions.[6]

Besides investment incentives and human capital, the availability of vast undeveloped land in neighbouring countries is an advantage over Penang.

Penang is the second smallest state in Malaysia, with more than 50 per cent of the island comprising hilly terrains – unfit for industrial expansion. The George Town heritage zone will not be flattened for industrialisation.

That’s why out of the ten existing industrial parks in the state, only one at the island (Bayan Lepas free industrial zone) with the other nine located at the mainland (Mak Mandin, Perai, Seberang Jaya, Bukit Tengah, Bukit Minyak, Penang Science Park, Penang Science Park North, Batu Kawan Industrial Park 1 and Batu Kawan Industrial Park 2).[7]

The 1,173ha of industrial land allocated in Batu Kawan was left only with 80ha in 2019.[8]  Critics of PSR such as Penang Forum’s Khoo Salma who repetitively say there is plenty of room for industrial expansion at Seberang Perai are either misinformed or ignorant.[9]

With the rising regional competitiveness and the lack of strategic land to attract investors, will Penang return into the dark period of the early 2000s?

Given the geographical constraint, it is only logical for the land-strapped state to embark on the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project, reclaiming new land bank for industrial, commercial, and residential development.

This strategy has proven feasible for Penang, with 1,120 acres of land reclaimed for industrial expansion and other development along the coast from the Penang Bridge to Batu Maung since the 1970s.[10] 

Foreign investments have generated more than 380,000 jobs in Penang over the past four decades, making up almost half of the state’s labour force.[11] The PSR project is estimated to create more than 300,000 new job opportunities in the following decades to come.

The criticism of the PSR project as a threat to the environment is misguided. There are fancy land reclamation projects for the rich and wealthy, but there are also land reclamation projects for a state’s survival. PSR is in the latter category.

In the same way, there is a difference between mining natural resources to build diesel engines and mining them to manufacture solar panels. Both have environmental impact, but let’s not be misguided by seeing them in the same category.

Development through strategic land reclamation for survival is not only evident in Penang’s own history but also seen in the Netherlands, Denmark, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

In the end, it doesn’t matter whether Penang is a gazelle or lion: when the sun comes up, Penang better be running.

References

[1]Kok, Onn Ting. (2016). How Does The Rise of China Affect Malaysia's Electronic and Electrical Sector? PhD thesis submitted to the University of East Anglia, 2016. Retrieved from https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/59625/

[2]https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2001-10-21/has-penang-lost-its-pizzazz

[3https://www.buletinmutiara.com/penang-hits-record-high-investments/

[4]https://www.dosm.gov.my/v1/index.php?r=column/cthemeByCat&cat=488&bul_id=eG1DdElEMDhXUFdvK3RCWHd0b2dvQT09&menu_id=azJjRWpYL0VBYU90TVhpclByWjdMQT09

[5]https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/492507

[6]World Bank Group. (2020). The Human Capital Index 2020 Update: Human Capital in the Time of COVID-19. World Bank. Retrieved from https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/34432

[7]https://investpenang.gov.my/penang-strives-to-drive-industry-forward/

[8]https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2019/05/02/with-land-for-industries-running-out-we-sorely-need-3-island-project-says-chow/

[9]https://www.nst.com.my/opinion/letters/2021/05/689811/penang-south-reclamation-who-does-it-serve

[10]https://www.buletinmutiara.com/linear-waterfront-pdc-to-call-for-proposals/

[11]Mahbar, Zabidi. (16 July 2019). Malaysian Investment Development Authority's Deputy Chief Executive Officer II's welcoming speech at Penang Domestic Investment Seminar, 16 July 2019, at Olive Tree Hotel, Penang. Retrieved from https://www.mida.gov.my/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/20190717092147_Welcoming-Speech_Penang-Investment-Seminar-2019Final-1.pdf

PAS, a threat to Penang’s economy and future

Responding to the statements from PAS and Penang Sustainable Natural Heritage Association (Lekas) regarding the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project, as reported in Free Malaysia Today and The Vibes.

Free Malaysia Today: "State PAS chief Muhammad Fauzi Yusuf said an appeal by fishermen against the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) had yet to be heard and hence, the state government should not arbitrarily announce that it would “start work” in May."[1]

The Vibes: "The Penang Sustainable Natural Heritage Association (Lekas) is the latest group to urge the authorities to defer the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project, pending an appeal by a group of fishermen."[2]

These two groups have raised the same empty objections against PSR in the past, which is actually expected as Lekas’ chairman Zikrullah Ismail is one of PAS youth leaders in Penang.[3]

It is clear that PAS is going all out to stop sustainable development in Penang, desiring the state to suffer economic deterioration.

When Kedah’s Menteri Besar from PAS threatened to cut off water from flowing into Penang, these PAS leaders in Penang kept quiet.

When Kedah’s Menteri Besar from PAS unveiled the RM40 billion sea reclamation megaproject in Langkawi, these same PAS leaders in Penang went silent.[4]

But when the Penang State Government wanted to proceed with the PSR as part of the state’s efforts to pursue sustainable development, these PAS leaders suddenly became eco-warrior and went all out to criticise the project.

Obviously, these PAS leaders are spinning issues for political mileage at the expanse of the overall economic well-being of Penang and the future of the state.

Penang should not be turned into a backwater state. Penang is different from PAS-led states like Terengganu, Kedah, and Kelantan.

The 2019 GDP per capita of these three states were RM28,890 (Terengganu), RM21,488 (Kedah), and RM13,464 (Kelantan), while Penang’s was RM53,342.[5]

The highest among the PAS-led states is Terengganu, where the mining, burning, and refining of fossil fuel forms a large part of the state’s economy.

In 2016, 65% of Terengganu's economy depended on the oil and gas sector. Terengganu is one of the biggest oil and gas producers in Malaysia, of which 85% of the state's economy comes from the hydrocarbon sector.[6]

Petroleum product (including petrochemical) received the highest amount of investment, at RM542.7 million in 2019, accounting for 84.95% of the state’s total approved investment in 2019 (Jabatan Perangkaan Malaysia, Laporan Sosioekonomi Terengganu 2019, p.53).

It is estimated that 63% of Terengganu state government’s revenues and 60% of Kelantan’s come from fossil fuel sector in 2019.[7]

PAS leaders wholeheartedly embrace Terengganu’s and Kelantan's carbon-intensive economy but fervently preach about environmentalism in Penang. Hypocritical political antic?

Penang is pursuing sustainable development through the PSR project that upholds the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards. Sea reclamation is reported as a “mature and effective technology and can provide predictable levels of safety” by the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the world’s top authority on climate matters. (The Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate: A Special Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2019).

PSR will help to secure Penang’s economy and future, while PAS continues to spin tales leading to the state’s economic deterioration.

References

[1]https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2021/04/12/stop-penang-from-starting-three-island-project-pas-tells-putrajaya/

[2]https://www.thevibes.com/articles/news/23750/heritage-group-joins-chorus-for-penang-reclamation-deferment

[3]https://web.facebook.com/zikrullahismail/posts/10222692840574049

[4]https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2021/01/20/kl-group-to-reclaim-island-in-rm40-bil-langkawi-project/

[5]https://penanginstitute.org/resources/key-penang-statistics/visualisations-of-key-indicators/penang-gross-domestic-product/

[5]https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2017/09/22/banking-on-tourism-terengganu-targets-sector-to-become-main-contributor-to-states-economy/

[6]https://www.isis.org.my/2020/05/10/malaysias-slick-politics-of-oil/