Penang LRT faces heat as Silicon Island reclamation challenged in court

THE proposed RM10.5 billion light rail transit (LRT) project that has received the cabinet’s final nod may encounter legal hiccups because its starting point on the presently under-reclamation Silicon Island is being disputed in court now.

Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) president Meenakshi Raman said three parties, led by the non-governmental group of Jaringan Ekologi dan Iklim (Jedi) and several fishermen as well as SAM, have filed a judicial review application in the Penang High Court to challenge the approval of the man-made island’s reclamation.

Silicon Island is located off Batu Maung and, to date, some work has begun for the island with an estimated reclamation volume measured at 102,000,000 m3, Gamuda Bhd said.

The listed construction conglomerate is the project delivery partner’s major stakeholder, now renamed Silicon Island Development Sdn Bhd from its original name of SRS Consortium Sdn Bhd.

To obtain sand for the reclamation, two custom-built trailing suction sand dredgers (TSSD) (Amanda 22 and Belinda 23) are deployed to extract sand by dredging in federal waters off Perak, Gamuda said in a post on its official website.

The reclamation of Silicon Island is targeted to be completed in 2032.

The man-made island will open a new chapter in Penang’s quest to brand itself as a foremost global E&E manufacturer and a preferred location for international investments, trade, business services, tourism and leisure.

To this, Meenakshi said the announcement that the LRT starts its 29km line on the island reflects poor governance on the part of the state government, especially when it is a party to an ongoing legal case mounted by three groups here.

“Ideally, both the federal and state governments should only make a move after the court case is disposed of and not in the middle of its proceedings,” said Meenakshi.

There is also the contention that both the LRT and Penang Hill’s cable projects are illegal because the state Local Plan has yet to be ratified by the local authorities and state, Meenaskhi, a senior lawyer, said.

She added that the state only has a Structure Plan in place to guide the authorities systematically in developing the island.

“But without the Local Plan which spells out detailed planning and makes it comprehensive enough to protect quality living here, the LRT and cable car are not ideally protected from any legal ramifications,” she said.

The Local Plan is still being revised with a proposed final draft ready later this year.

Meanwhile, Meenakshi said that the planning for the LRT did not offer transparency before the Transport Ministry and the state went public with it last week.

There are no social and detailed environmental impact studies made public and there is no latest update on ridership statistics and even the claims that 90% of residents here are supportive of the LRT does not hold water, according to Meenaskhi.

Firstly, the 90% is gauged from respondents who may not have been informed about the many consequences of an elevated LRT project in Penang, said Meenaskhi.

Then, the number of properties and people affected by the project must be made known, as no project the size of an LRT can be constructed without land or property acquisition, she added.

The same principle applies to the cable car project at Penang Hill, as it is said to impact the residents living along the Botanical Gardens and Gottlieb Road.

“There must be transparency in the works to reassure residents and those objecting to it that the project has met the various criteria to be feasible.”

In another development, Jedi adviser Khoo Salma Nasution said that the approving facets for the LRT are littered with errors.

The alignment from Silicon Island to Komtar in George Town misses the highest-density localities of Air Itam and Paya Terubong.

So, if the route misses the localities with most of the working class, who are the actual commuters of the LRT, asked Khoo.

“Also, what about the connection to the Penang International Airport in Bayan Lepas, as the man-made island is located off Batu Maung?”

She added that there is a need to show adequate parking space for vehicles and waiting stations to ensure that commuters can travel with ease on the LRT.

“With the limited land and open spaces on the island, there are still many questions rather than answers or solutions provided,” said Khoo.

Penang Forum executive committee member Lim Mah Hui said that the local umbrella body of non-governmental organisations here will soon hold a media briefing to point out several discrepancies in the proposed LRT.

“I will also expand on my contention that it is financially irresponsible to build an LRT here. Who will bear the costs if not for the taxpayers?” he said. – April 2, 2024.