NGO rebukes PSR manager for untrue statement

GEORGE TOWN – An environmental NGO has taken Penang Infrastructure Corp Sdn Bhd (PIC) to task for reportedly giving false information on the implementation of the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project, leading to an admonition by the Environment Department (DoE).

Zikrullah Ismail, chairman of Penang Sustainable Natural Heritage Association, criticised the statement given by PIC chief executive Datuk Seri Farizan Darus, whose corporation comes under the state government, for lacking professionalism and disrespecting DoE.

“This untrue statement is very unprofessional when it does not respect DoE’s jurisdiction regarding the approval of the Environmental Management Plan (EMP), and is believed to be malicious in misleading the public, as well as could potentially build false confidence for investors.

“Lekas will continue to consistently protest the PSR project, which causes irreversible damage and residual impact to the mudflat ecosystem, fishing ground, turtle landing area, and coral reef area in Pulau Rimau, which is an important ecosystem to fisheries resources,” he said.

In its statement yesterday, DoE clarified that it has yet to receive the EMP for the PSR project based on the original order.

Its director-general Norlin Jaafar reportedly said the department had not received the EMP based on the original order in line with the concept of the project.

According to her, SRS Consortium – PIC’s project delivery partner for PSR – had submitted an EMP report to the Penang DoE but did not follow the original order of reclamation as in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report, which was approved on June 25, 2019.

Earlier, Farizan, who is former state secretary, had claimed that Penang is now just waiting for DoE’s approval to begin reclamation work.

He reportedly said PIC is now waiting for DoE to give the go-ahead on the EMP, which he claimed was expected to be issued at the end of this month, before it can implement the project in accordance with the approved guidelines.

Meanwhile, Farizan, in his response to Norlin, admitted to being wrong on the issue of submitting the EMP to DoE, and a new EMP application is expected to be submitted by early next month at the latest.

The mistake occurred because the original EMP for the implementation of the PSR was submitted to the Putrajaya DoE on January 6, but there was no decision, so the application had to be withdrawn on May 7 to allow the new EMP application to be submitted.

“Therefore, because the original EMP application was submitted on January 6, and the delay was in the approval of the EMP, I was wrong about the start date of the project proposal,” he said.

Farizan said he hopes consideration for approval can be given immediately based on existing guidelines, and assured that the mega project will only start after the EMP is approved by DoE.

Norlin issued a statement yesterday in response to a report by a local English-language newspaper titled “Project to create 15,000 jobs” on Monday, which claimed that Penang is now just waiting for DoE’s approval to begin reclamation work.

The report quoted Farizan as saying that the company is now waiting for DoE to give the go-ahead to the EMP, which is expected to be issued at the end of this month before it can implement the project in accordance with the approved guidelines.

The implementation of the PSR of almost 17sq km involves the development of three artificial islands with a landmass of 1,700ha over the waters of Permatang Damar Laut near Bayan Lepas.

It is reportedly being undertaken to fund various infrastructure projects in the Penang Transport Master Plan worth an estimated RM46 billion. – The Vibes, May 21, 2021