SAHABAT Alam Malaysia (SAM) has reiterated its call for the Penang government not to allow the Penang Hill cable-car project to proceed until there has been full public consultation and feedback on the project, especially from those who will be affected by the project.
SAM president, Meenakshi Raman said they have been receiving complaints from various quarters, about the lack of consultation over the project.
"Thus far, the Penang Government has been saying that all the approvals related to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the project have been obtained, as well as planning permission from the local authority to commence the works in June this year.
"It claims that all laws have been followed. However, SAM regrets that none of these approvals have been made through a public consultation and feedback process," she said in a statement.
She claimed that the EIA for the project was approved without a detailed EIA done, which was not displayed publicly and no feedback was sought before its approval by the Department of Environment.
"Also, no local plan has been drawn up for the areas and residents who will be affected by the ancillary works related to the cable car project, especially at the bottom station in the Botanical Gardens, and along Jalan Kebun Bunga.
"The residents living nearby are not in the know about how they will be affected by the works related to the cable car project," she said.
Meenakshi said the lack of a local plan for the island for decades now is a major violation of the Town and Country Planning Act 1976.
If a local plan had been drawn up, the public, especially those who would be impacted by the project would have been able to give their feedback, she said.
"The public has been kept in the dark as to the environmental and social impacts of the project before any approvals are given.
"To approve the cable car project without such public participation and public disclosure is not good governance.
"Transporting 1,000 people per hour via the cable car to the Hill is no small matter. Questions abound about the spillover effects and the carrying capacity of this environmentally sensitive ecosystem,".
SAM called on the state authorities and relevant agencies to publicly display the relevant reports for the project and seek public feedback.
"A local plan also should be produced for public feedback, without which, the cable car project should not proceed.
"SAM is baffled by the non-transparency and lack of opportunity for public consultation and feedback in this regard.
"For the sake of good governance and transparency, the cable car project must not proceed until the public has had an opportunity to view the details of the project and all the above measures are taken," she added. – The Vibes, April 17, 2024.
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