PSI vital sustainable strategy to secure the future of Penang and well-being of the people

PSI vital sustainable strategy to secure the future of Penang and well being of the people

Penang Infrastructure Corporation, as the Penang State Government’s special purpose vehicle to implement the Penang South Islands (PSI) project, would like to respond to misleading information that have emerged with regards to PSI.

Contrary to claims made about the project, the PSI is the State Government’s strategy to make Penang’s economy more resilient for future generations while prioritising environmental sustainability.

At the centre of the first island or known as Island A is the new 700-acre Green Tech Park designed for high-tech industries of the future. The development will drive the creation of over 460,000 jobs and generate a forecasted GDP of RM2.2 trillion in a 30- year time frame.

The design of the PSI project, which will be developed with a Low Carbon Cities Framework (LCCF) during its topside development phase, has exceeded the emissions reduction of 40% as advised by the National Planning Council (MPFN), which garnered the Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Corporation (MGTC) accreditation on February 20, 2023 at 45% emissions reduction by 2050.

Further measures that will be implemented include the mandate of the Green Building Index (GBI) certification for the development of individual plots. Within the GBI criteria, scores will be imposed on aspects related to green building materials, energy and resource-efficient fittings and fixtures, greenery as well as design innovations to reduce the building’s carbon footprint.

Concerns about the fisheries and the fate of fishermen have been addressed many times over the years. We would like to reiterate that the fishermen of southern Penang Island can still continue to fish during and after the reclamation. The project’s implementation will not prevent them from fishing and the usual fishing ground for fishermen in the area are located beyond the reclamation site.

Our three fishermen engagement centres known as Pusat Perkhidmatan Setempat Nelayan (PPSN) operating at the site are in constant contact with the fishermen and provide various assistance to them. Recently, we have also helped some 40 fishermen with their insurance and license renewal to continue fishing after they faced difficulties renewing them.

Again, for the record, the State Government will continue to implement the Social Impact Management Plan (SIMP), which benefits fishermen from nine fishermen units in southern Penang Island. Some of the benefits are in the form of new larger boats and more powerful engines, financial aid, skills training, job and business opportunities, new jetties and even education support programmes for their children.

The PSI Ecology Offset Master Plan (PEOM), which features initiatives such as mangrove planting, deployment of artificial reefs and release of fish and shrimp fries, will also be implemented to mitigate the project’s impact on the environment and create new habitats for marine life. Both the SIMP and PEOM are part of the condition in the EIA approval.

These details can be viewed in the approved EIA Report, which has been made available for public viewing on our website penanginfra.com. The report can also be viewed on the EIA consultant’s website at https://www.drnik.com.my/svc_ce_p5.php.

All the above-listed programmes in the reclamation of PSI will be implemented accordingly and will be the showcase of PSI if EMP is approved and reclamation can commence.

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