Speak to fisherfolk on benefits of PSR, group tells 2 MPs

Published by Free Malaysia Today • 04/06/2021 • 01:04 pm

The fishing community will not be adversely affected by the Penang South Reclamation project, says the Anak Pinang group.

GEORGE TOWN: New jobs and educational facilities are waiting for fishermen and their children affected by the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project.

Anak Pinang, a group supporting PSR, said two MPs who had spoken out against the project were not properly briefed on its benefits.

The two are youth and sports minister Reezal Merican Naina Merican and Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izzah Anwar.

The group said fishermen had been assured stable salaries, jobs, training and educational opportunities for their children throughout the PSR project. They would also be given new boats if they still wanted to be involved in fishing.

It said the environmental impact would be minimal as strict measures would be put in place by regulators.

“We look to our MPs to provide practical solutions to help sustain our livelihoods. But what we get is a call to cancel the PSR and, along with it, the elimination of the project’s current employment of Penangites and upcoming job opportunities,” it said on Facebook.

Anak Pinang invited Reezal Merican and Nurul Izzah to meet the workers at the PSR site to hear their views.

Meanwhile, in a separate statement, Agora Society Malaysia (Agora) said the MPs had done the right thing by calling for the project to be called off.

They said given the balanced development mantra often repeated by the Penang government, the focus should be on Seberang Perai on the mainland, where there was plenty of land for development.

Agora said 1,830ha of state-owned land in Batu Kawan was more than enough for development of industries.

This was nearly equal to PSR’s three islands covering an area of 1,820ha.

It said Batu Kawan, linked to the island by the second bridge and close to the airport, was a perfect location as the land value was cheap.

“There is no need to talk about how smart and how green these artificial islands would be because the massive land reclamation would destroy the coastal and marine biodiversity. It will create so much pollution and unaccounted greenhouse gas emissions.

“Stop using the consolation money offered to the fishermen to devalue their lives, lifestyle, lifetime skills and dignity,” it said in a statement.