EIGHT of ten projects mooted under the 12th Malaysia Plan for Penang are now under consideration by the Economy Ministry under Rafizi Ramli, said Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.
He said these projects are aimed at further stimulating the state and national economies while also helping to resolve Penang’s long-standing traffic congestion and mobility issues.
The eight projects under consideration by the ministry are the construction of an underpass connecting Jalan Mount Erskine to Jalan Burma at the Mount Erskine-Gottlieb Road-Jalan Burma-Jalan Bagan Jermal intersection (Section A: Underpass); Type 2 health clinic in Bayan Lepas; Sungai Juru conservation project; the construction of outfall and coastal erosion prevention structures at Batu Ferringhi and Tanjung Bungah beaches; and the construction of coastal erosion prevention structures at Paramount Fishermen’s Jetty, northeast district, Penang.
Also included are the upgrading of a two-lane single carriageway to a four-lane dual carriageway on Federal Route FT006 from Bayan Lepas to Teluk Kumbar (Section 20.00 to Section 23.00); the construction of the Lahar Yooi pump house; and the Pan Island Link 1 (PIL 1) project.
The PIL 1 project is expected to receive stiff opposition from the nongovernmental organisations (NGO) under the Penang Forum.
The NGOs have championed greater reliance on public transport rather than construction of more roads, particularly on the island.
The 19.5km PIL 1 is a highway that would tunnel through the hills of the island, linking Gurney Drive in the northeast to Bayan Lepas in the southwest.
As of Dec 2 last year, a total of 306 projects under the 12MP were approved, amounting to approximately RM28.406 billion for Penang, Chow added. - January 7, 2025.
