28 Feb Penang CM ready to brief G25 over Penang south reclamation project
Published by Bernama • 17/02/2022
GEORGE TOWN, Feb 17 (Bernama) — The Penang state government is always ready to brief and engage with the civil society group, G25, on the state’s plans to carry out the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said.
“We are very open. We will continue to engage with them so that they can understand what we have, what we propose to do to mitigate the various ecological, environmental and other impacts when the project is implemented,” he said, adding that objections were due to the public not knowing full details about the project and the tedious process undertaken by the state government with various technical agencies.
He also claimed that the state government had presented the project plans to the Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister and the Agriculture and Food Security Minister as it involved fisheries and seafood production in the state.
The G25, a group of prominent retired civil servants, had called on Putrajaya to stop the PSR project immediately to protect the livelihoods of local fishermen yesterday.
The group claimed that the reclamation project would cause not only irreparable damage to the marine and mangrove ecosystems on Penang’s coast, but also to the marine ecosystem of neighbouring Kedah and Perak as well.
“We call upon the new government to put an end to this project for the sake of remaining true to its pledge to ensure a sustainable future for our nation,” the group said.
The PSR project covers an area of 17square kilometres and involves the development of three man-made islands in the waters off Permatang Damar Laut, Bayan Lepas.
— BERNAMA
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