Penang may file judicial review of Appeal Board’s decision on PSI’s EIA

Published by New Straits Times• 08/09/2021• 04:36 pm

Penang may seek a judicial review against the Appeal Board’s decision to revoke the environmental impact assessment (EIA) approval of the controversial Penang South Islands’ (PSI) reclamation project earlier today. – NSTP file pic

GEORGE TOWN: Penang may seek a judicial review against the Appeal Board’s decision to revoke the environmental impact assessment (EIA) approval of the controversial Penang South Islands’ (PSI) reclamation project earlier today.

State Infrastructure and Transportation Committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari said the state took note of the Appeal Board’s decision which was reported in the media.

“While awaiting for an official written copy of the Appeal Board’s decision, the state will consider legal action by way of applying for a judicial review against the decision.

“The state will also consider other actions, among which is the possibility of coming up with an updated environmental impact assessment (EIA) report based on approval from the local authorities in reference to the Appeal Board’s decision,” he said in a brief statement uploaded on to his official Facebook page this afternoon.

Earlier today, it was reported that fisher folk, likely to be affected by the PSI reclamation project, scored a major victory after they won an appeal to revoke the EIA approval of the controversial project.

The PSI project was previously known as the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project.

This came after the preliminary objection by Zakaria Ismail, head of the fishermen’s unit of Sungai Batu, was allowed and approval by the Department of Environment (DoE) on the PSR’s environmental impact assessment (EIA) was set aside.

The EIA was found to be ultra vires, null and void of Section 34A(4)(a) of the Environmental Quality Act 1974.