Boon may be a threat as well

07 December 2013| last updated at 09:13PM

All these have long made the place a popular tourist destination, where nature lovers can feast their senses.

A recent draft version of the Special Area Plan (SAP), currently on display for public feedback, suggests that a coming change may or may not significantly alter the hill's landscape.

Chief among the SAP is the proposed cable car link which, as Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng reportedly said, will be from the Penang Municipal Park to the hill and possibly onwards to Teluk Bahang.

Penang Hill residents and vendors are a tad apprehensive and cautious over the plan which, in the words of one vendor, may end up being more of a hindrance than a benefit, with issues of traffic and over-population.

Several environmental interest groups, like the Malaysian Nature Society Penang chapter and the vocal Citizen Awareness Chant Group, have also expressed their concerns and objections over the proposed plan.

Even those in favour of the plan are cautious towards it, and are calling on the authorities to minimise the damage to the environment should the plan take off.

Such a call is not at all premature, as the hill's main attraction is nature, and losing that means pretty much nothing left for the hill.

While the plan may be well intended to boost tourism, perhaps it would be best for the relevant authorities to properly assess the need for such a facility, since there is already an existing train ride up and down the hill, in addition to the access road via the Botanic Gardens.

The authorities would also have to be mindful of the fact that a similar proposal was scrapped in the early 1990s. That said, it would also be imperative to note that these are, indeed, early days, and things are not yet set in stone.

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Boon may be a threat as well