Gerakan is glad that the proposed Tiger Park project has been called off by the Penang Municipal Council.

Penang Gerakan treasurer Ng Fook On said the project, to be located in Relau, would not benefit Penang and the people.

“Gerakan has been opposing the project since it was conceptualized by Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng in March, because we are very concerned with the people’s safety as the project is located in the vicinity of a highly-residential area,” said Ng in a statement.

Ng noted that the proposal had drawn criticisms from conservation groups such as the Malaysian Conservation Alliance for Tigers (Mycat), Sahabat Alam Malaysia and WWF-Malaysia.

“Gerakan is also of the view that the Penang state government should not risk the lives of the people just because it wanted to impress upon Penangites that it could implement an eco-tourism project,” said Ng.

Ng was responding to a statement by council president Tan Cheng Chui yesterday that “there are no plans to create a tiger park as concrete proposals have not been submitted to the council.”

Tan said the idea mooted by Lim was only a suggestion, adding “we are open to proposals but they must be strong and solid.” MPPP owns the plot of land.

Ng chided Lim for simply “throwing” an idea when he or the state government had nothing concrete to work on.

“Lim has taken the people for a ride. He only wants to create publicity for himself,” Ng said, adding that Tan’s statement also confirmed Gerakan’s notion that the proposed project just “came out of the blue.”