GEORGE TOWN – The Penang Forum will do whatever it takes to stop the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project, which is set to create three islands off the southern coast of Penang island and is due to start in the first quarter of this year.
Penang Forum executive committee member Khoo Salma Nasution said that the state government has become so arrogant that it has failed to see that other similar projects have failed or collapsed.
She said that such projects cause damage to both the environment and the nation’s coffers.
“Look at what happened to the Melaka Gateway project or Forest City in Johor. These are examples, yet, Penang has turned a blind eye.
“Who wants to come and live in reclaimed land off Penang now?” she said.
She also said the emphasis must now be on public healthcare, battling the Covid-19 pandemic and jumpstarting the economy.
“More needs to be done for education and creating the right infrastructure for sustainability,” she said.
Khoo said there are renewed global calls for sustainable development that emphasises meeting the needs of the people, and not simply the greed of a few out to grab land.
“I cannot say for now, but we will pursue ways to stop this reclamation. It should be stopped at all costs. In the end, it is ordinary citizens who suffer.
“Fishermen can’t go out to sea anymore as marine life is ruined. Look at what happened to the Tg Tokong fishermen.
“We presume that the deadly effects of Covid-19 will make our leaders wise up and think about what matters now,” she added.
The PSR is a plan by the Penang government to reclaim three islands measuring 1,821ha in total.
It will be later sold to carry out the RM46 billion Penang Transport Master Plan, in which light rail transit, highways and other modes of public transport will be built. – The Vibes, February 6, 2021
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