Penang says will push ahead with mega reclamation project

Published by New Straits Times • 09/06/2021 • 02:38 pm

Chow’s response came a week after PKR’s Permatang Pauh member of parliament Nurul Izzah Anwar called on the federal and state governments to cancel the mega reclamation project. – STR/MIKAIL ONG

GEORGE TOWN: Despite widespread objections, Penang is adamant to push ahead with the controversial Penang South Islands project (previously referred to as the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project) at all cost, said Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.

Chow said detractors, the latest being PKR leaders and ministers, had repeated their concerns on many platforms about the environment and fishermen issues, which the state had been listening and, in fact, agrees with them on the importance of taking climate change into consideration and protecting the welfare of fishermen.

This is why, he said, the state was implementing so many mitigation measures, carrying out a socio-economic plan for fishermen and introducing green initiatives for the PSI development.

“Suffice to say that such a massive and comprehensive plan to improve the fishing community has never been done before anywhere in the country.

“However, we only disagree on cancelling the project. We do not have to choose between PSI and the environment and fishermen. Technology and engineering advancements can allow us to build PSI and preserve the environment and the people at the same time.

“We never denied that the project will have impacts but we have always shared with the people how we intend to mitigate the impact, create new habitats for marine life and provide more job and business opportunities for fishermen and other locals,” he said today.

His response came a week after PKR’s Permatang Pauh member of parliament Nurul Izzah Anwar called on the federal and state governments to cancel the mega reclamation project.

Since then, various quarters have been jumping on the bandwagon to support Nurul Izzah’s call.

According to Chow, consideration should also be given to the many socio-economic benefits PSI will bring to Penang, that have greater value than monetary returns.

He pointed out that job creation and economic growth, stimulated by domestic and international investments, would give financial stability and security to the people, while green initiatives like low carbon developments and transportation, use of renewable energy and provision of open spaces would contribute towards improving liveability and public wellbeing for decades to come.

“These benefits should be counted too.

“We strongly believe we are able to achieve all the above while also being fully compliant to the stringent approval conditions imposed by the Department of Environment (DoE).

“As such, no precedence should be set by the government, whereby approval for projects is reversed even though all approval conditions are being met,” he added.

Last Monday, Nurul Izzah had said that the massive reclamation project should be cancelled because of the immediate pressing needs of the Covid-19 pandemic, and to preserve Penang’s valuable fishing grounds, the livelihoods of fishermen and overall food security.

The PSI project will see the creation of three man-made islands measuring 4,500 acres to fund the state’s highly ambitious Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) .

The PTMP, costing RM46 billion, involves a series of highways, light rail transit (LRT), monorails, skytaxi and the Penang undersea tunnel project.

Chow said, for the record, the state had obtained approvals for the Hydraulics Study, Traffic Impact Assessment (TIA) Report, Marine Traffic Risk Assessment (MTRA) Report and Social Impact Assessment (SIA) Report.

He added that the Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIA), which also included a Fisheries Impact Assessment (FIA) Report, was also approved by the DoE, which came with 72 conditions. These conditions are norms for projects of this size and nature.

Of the 72 conditions, 56 are general and related to compliance; project design and concept; approvals and licenses; pollution prevention and mitigation measures; land reclamation and dredging activities; environmental quality control and monitoring; and others.

Chow said the other conditions touched on the Environmental Management Plan (EMP), which the state had recently resubmitted for approval; environmental audit; and the roles and duties of the environmental officer to ensure EIA compliance.

Meanwhile, Chow said the state government had been engaging with the local fishing community for more than five years through the fishermen one-stop centres called Pusat Perkhidmatan Setempat Nelayan (PPSN) in Permatang Damar Laut and Gertak Sanggul, which have been operating since 2016 and 2017 respectively and the project has been well received among the local fishermen.

“Since PSI was mooted in 2015 up until May 31 this year, 6,153 fishermen have been involved in stakeholder engagements. Countless meetings and discussions – both formal and informal – were done to understand the fishing communities’ challenges and how the project can positively impact them.

“The key challenge plaguing fishing communities is the depletion of fish stock in line with worldwide trends which many experts including the Department of Fisheries point out is the result of overfishing,” he said.

Chow said, according to the Fisheries Department’s records on nine fishermen units in south Penang island, over 900 fishermen were closest to the earmarked site. The number of affected fishermen were not as inflated as what detractors had claimed.

Chow also assured that fishing would continue unimpeded.

Before the EIA Report was approved, Chow said the project was also presented at the 31st National Physical Planning Council (NPPC) meeting jointly chaired by the then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his then deputy Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who is now PKR advisory council chairman, in April 2019.

He said, in May 2019, the NPPC communicated to the Penang government 18 recommendations on implementing PSI. Among them were to develop it as a smart city; review the possibility of building an industrial and high technology park based on the Fourth Industrial Revolution in the region, focusing on automation, artificial intelligence, robotics and Internet of Things; study the feasibility of proposed industrial, housing and commercial developments; achieve a 70:30 ratio for public transport and private vehicle use; enhance green city initiatives to reduce carbon emissions by a targeted 40 per cent; implement disaster risk management plans; and others.

He added that the NPPC also reminded the Penang government to adhere to conditions stated in the approved impact assessment reports such as the EIA; and take into account the project’s impact on the local fishing families in the context of providing new economic and job opportunities; as well as provide a dedicated zone for affordable housing development with price controls by the authorities, among others.

“The Social Impact Management Plan (SIMP) and offset programmes mentioned above are in line with NPPC’s advice on safeguarding fishermen’s welfare and the environment. We are also following the NPPC’s advice in other areas through the PSI development plan that has been prepared in consultation with the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) 2019 guidelines, Low Carbon Cities Framework, and an independent study by the world-renowned Royal Haskoning DHV, headquartered in the Netherlands.

“Island A’s minimum platform level will be three metres above mean sea level while 20 per cent of PSI land will be reserved for green parks, mangroves, water canals, wetlands, floodplains and bioswales to enhance biodiversity, cooling the environment by one to two degrees Celsius.

“PSI’s environmental offset programmes have also included four kilometres mangrove wetlands to provide additional shoreline protection and promote bio-diversity. The 100 per cent renewable energy-powered Green Tech Park will appeal to global electrical and electronic (E&E) companies and is designed to achieve 50% carbon reduction by 2030,” he added.