Penang folk, NGOS will continue to protest against PSR project - Pemikir

GEORGE TOWN (Sept 11): Concerned non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and Penang residents will continue to oppose the seawall project which will see the land reclamation of the island's southern coast under the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) (pictured) project to develop three artificial islands despite the state government's intention to review the project, says Pertubuhan Badan Pemikir Melayu (Pemikir).

Its chairman Datuk Dr Muhamad Farid Saad said as an NGO that opposed the PSR project, he was of the opinion that the state government should reconsider the initial intention to improve and develop the public transport system (the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) instead of the development of the three islands which was far from the original intention.

“NGOs and the people of Penang who oppose the PSR also will not be satisfied even though the environmental impact assessment (EIA) approval for the project has been revoked because the decision is based on technical inaccuracies or errors and these can be rectified.

"Fundamental issues related to the socio-economic and environmental impact of the PSR project have yet to be debated.

He said Pemikir was also of the view that the state government had a responsibility to ensure that they, as trustees, carried out their work in accordance with laws and regulations, especially in implementing a project that had a big impact on Penang and its people.

Muhamad Farid said in the zeal to develop the state, it was the explicit and implicit responsibility of the state government to listen to the complaints, grievances and voices as well as suggestions of NGOs who want the best for the state.

"Besides that, the state government's administration led by the State Secretary (Datuk Abdul Razak Jaafar) needs to reprimand greedy political leadership if there are shortcomings," he added.

On Wednesday, three members of the Department of Environment appeals board, led by Sessions Court Judge Rozina Ayob, set aside the EIA approval for the project. The other two members of the board are Professor Datuk Dr Mazlin Mokhtar and Associate Professor Dr Ramdzani Abdullah.

The members of the appeals board made the decision on the appeal filed by the head of the Sungai Batu fishermen's unit, Zakaria Ismail, on July 29, 2019 under Section 35(1)(e) of the Environmental Quality Act.

The implementation of the PSR project, covering almost 17 square kilometres, involves the development of three artificial islands with an area of ​​1,700 hectares in the waters of Permatang Damar Laut near Bayan Lepas, to fund various infrastructure projects in the PTMP worth about RM46 billion.

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