I read an article somewhere today in a local newspaper that suggests to the ordinary reader, that the dining scene in Penang is on an upswing.That Penang is pulsating with food outlets that can rival KL. That Penangites have finally begun to loosen their wallets and are willing to spend,spend,spend.
Instead of pulling the wool across people's eyes, I think a few perceptions or misconceptions need to be corrected.
A lot of these restaurateurs have parked their asses on prime property and have indirectly or directly contributed towards the insanely spiralling prices of shophouses .
They sniffed and sought out shophouses in the heritage enclave long before, even to the extent of relocating from other countries to our island.
One such outsider, not a foreigner but a Malaysian, who opened a chain in three states,managed to recoup his losses and profitted from his ONE single prewar shoplot in Penang,even when his business failed . He has since gone on a buying spree.
This mania to turn in a profit that has been speculated to return another 5 fold, in turn has forced OUR people, those very unfortunate and downtrodden ones, into even less savoury dwellings.
There came a time when there were so many old folks sleeping on the streets, forced out of their tiny space in these shophouses. I don't know what has become of them ever since. Either they have died, mysteriously vanished or they are regularly rounded up and shipped off to welfare homes, I really have no idea.
Essentially property vultures with patience of gold, they will sit and wait as our beloved Georgetown falls apart bit by bit, hidden under the painted aesthetics of another garish restoration project that looks more at home in Singapore. Absolutely nothing like Penang.
They would rather sit and wait,preferring not to sell as they await THE buyer and deprive another emaciated soul of a cheap,convenient dwelling into laying a cardboard for the night over a cold pavement.
Those located in shopping complexes , especially if they are well known chains, started off well, only to sell it off ( for reasons best know to them ) to people who really shouldn't be given the licence to operate any restaurant to begin with,much less fry an egg even.
Standards start to fall, quality is compromised, food served begins to suck big time,flies start to lay eggs and the blame game points to the tightwads not bad, compromised dishes.
The most glaring of all to epitomise this preposterous state of affairs , is the report that the Delicious group HAD ALREADY CHANGED HANDS when they opened at Straits Quay,relieving themselves of a torrent of jitters. That explains a heck of a lot as to why they took so long to open and why the heck the food tasted the way it did . Different owner already .
Read the boss' proud confession in today's The Star 2.
I did not make this up.
As for Straits Quay being the catalyst for change,who are you kidding.
EVERYONE especially the outlet operators in that complex, know that the entire place is quiet except on special occasions or another failed epic event where the freeloading participants have padlocks on their wallets . Period. Stop the lies.
A few years back saw an influx of out of state property investors flooding Penang.Most sought out apartments and homes. Unlike commercial properties, let's just say, while some struck a pot of gold, most found things out the hard way and have been pretty much stuck here ever since.
The most important thing to remember is when the scene falters or business stagnates , they bring in the writers. To conjour fluff and hype.
So, writers and reviewers, before you go around wholesale and lump the so called 'new breed' of Penangites as willing to carefully spend money like water, check your conscience.
You seem to have forgotten that many outsiders today make up the new Penang , while most of us are juggling our lives between a home in Kedah or the mainland and an underpaying job on the island or elsewhere, That just as many are working in far away places like China, Singapore, Vietnam, the middle east even , returning just once in a while to splurge on their families and make up for the guilt of being apart for so long.
Get your facts right first instead of helping speculators strangle the very last breath of life out of Georgetown with an uncontrolled viciousness. You have forgotten our own kind, and you have forgotten what it is to be poor in your unceasing obsession for writing fame and paper riches.
