Fishermen buoyed by festive goodwill

Fishermen from Teluk Kumbar, Batu Maung, Seri Jerjak, Teluk Tempoyak and Pulau Betong with hampers that they received from PPSN officers.

TWENTY fishermen near the Silicon Island reclamation project in Penang received Chinese New Year hampers at the Pusat Perkhidmatan Setempat Nelayan (PPSN) in Permatang Damar Laut.

Previously, 10 fishermen received Christmas and New Year hampers.

The gesture was part of an annual festive tradition to demonstrate the Penang government’s commitment to supporting the welfare and well-being of the local fishing community.

The fishermen were from the coastal areas of Teluk Kumbar, Batu Maung, Seri Jerjak, Teluk Tempoyak and Pulau Betong.

Penang Infrastructure Corporation chief executive officer Datuk Seri Farizan Darus said the state would continue to implement programmes that benefitted the fishing community and ensure they prosper alongside the progress of the Silicon Island project.

“I assure that PPSN officers will continue to serve this community, rolling out additional Social Impact Management Plan (SIMP) initiatives to assist registered fisherfolk,” he added.

Since its inception in 2016, PPSN has actively organised festive programmes for fishermen while gathering their feedback on the reclamation, assisting them in resolving various issues related to their jobs and registering them for the SIMP.

Farizan said the Penang government had given out RM11,770,080 in ex-gratia payments to 791 licensed and active fisherfolk registered under the SIMP for the Silicon Island project.

He said while 877 fishermen were registered for the SIMP, 84 had failed to meet last year’s Oct 31 deadline to up- date their documents.

“These included inactive fishermen, those with new 2024 licences, individuals who have relocated and some who have passed away.

“Additionally, two fishermen’s payments are currently on hold due to a conflict of interest arising from an ongoing court case. This was a decision by the Fishermen Taskforce Committee, which decided to withhold these payments until the appeal is resolved,” he said in a press statement.

One of the fishermen who received a hamper, Chin Yoong Chun, 48, from Pulau Betong, expressed his appreciation for it.

He said he would use some of his catch for a family seafood dinner and save the exgratia payment for Chinese New Year preparations to buy festive goods and give ang pow to relatives.

Lee Thean How, 38, a fisherman from the same unit, said he decided to hand over his exgratia payment to his father, who is the boat owner, to purchase and upgrade their fishing equipment.

“The ex-gratia has been a great help in upgrading our equipment.”PPSN serves as a onestop information centre on the Silicon Island project.

The Silicon Island project is a Penang government-owned development, with Silicon Island Development Sdn Bhd (SIDSB) as the project developer.

SIDSB is a joint-venture company by PIC PD Sdn Bhd (30%) and SRS PD Sdn Bhd (70%).

SIDSB has awarded the design, management and construction of Phase 1 reclamation works of Silicon Island to turnkey contractor SRS TC Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Gamuda Bhd.