Chow: Selling state land to fund the RM27bil Penang Transport Master Plan not feasible

Published by The Sun Daily • 07/01/2016 • 07:19 pm

Penang state Local Government, Traffic Management and Flood Mitigation
Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow. SUNPIX

GEORGE TOWN: The monies from selling all the land belonging to the Penang government is still not enough to fund the RM27billion Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) according to State Local Government, Traffic Management and Flood Mitigation Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow (pix).

He said the premiums from the land sale would not amount to much due to location and the odd sizes of the land.

He also pointed out that most of the state land was reserved for industrial use with the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) in some cases having to enter into joint ventures with plantation companies to acquire land.

“I think its hardly possible,” he said in response to calls by certain quarters to fund the PTMP by selling state land instead of reclaiming land when asked at a media briefing today.

Also present was the PTMP project delivery partner (PDP) SRS Consortium project director Szeto Wai Loong.

Chow also played down the possibility of funding the PTMP by using land in Seberang Perai, noting the value of land there was lower than that of the island.

As an example, he said the value of 6,000acres of land on the mainland could only be worth 3,000acres of land on the island.

“The land bank of the state government is very small, even if it was sold there will not be enough funds,” he said.

On the progress of the PTMP, Chow said the PDP has appointed ERE Consulting Group Sdn Bhd to undertake the Detailed Environment Impact Assessment (DEIA) while Arkitek OA will be appointed to conduct the Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) for the Bayan Lepas light rail transit (LRT).

He said Dr Nik & Associates Sdn Bhd was appointed to conduct the DEIA for the reclamation which will be peer-reviewed by the Danish Hydraulic Institute.

He said the Fisheries Impact Assessment (FIA) will be conducted by Fanli Marine Consultancy Sdn Bhd while a consultant has yet to be chosen to conduct the DEIA for the Pan Island Link but is expected to be appointed this month.

He said the DEIA of the LRT project is expected to be submitted to the Department of Environment (DOE) by June 2016 while the HIA was to be submitted by April 2016, the DEIA for the reclamation is expected to be submitted by June 2016 and the FIA to the state by March 2016.

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