GEORGE TOWN – Kepala Batas MP Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican yesterday urged the Penang government to cancel the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project as it did not command the full support of the state’s population.
Reezal Merican, who is also youth and sports minister, said the mega sea reclamation project elicited various negative reactions and spawned two petitions calling for its cancellation.
“Therefore, as Penang Development Action Council chairman, I will carry these objections and protests urging for the cancellation of the project to the state government soon,” he said in a statement.
He claimed the public “Save Penang! Reject the 3 Islands Reclamation!” petition had gained over 116,000 signatures in support by yesterday, while another petition titled “Save Malaysia's sea turtles!”, which is directly linked to the PSR project, had also gained nearly 250,000 signatures.
Reezal Merican said he personally never agreed with the project that the state said would generate the funds needed to pay for transportation projects under the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP).
He also claimed that objections towards the project were due to its implementation, said to not really be for PTMP transportation projects, as it seemed that it had morphed into a real estate project dominated by private entities.
In addition, he claimed the project would threaten the livelihoods of those who rely on the ocean and its bounty, destroy the marine ecosystem and biodiversity, and change the flow of seawater.
Meanwhile, Penang PAS commissioner Muhammad Fauzi Yusoff said in a separate statement that the state PAS had always objected to the PSR project by the state government.
He claimed the project had deviated from its original objective, and instead focused on the interests of certain parties and seemingly neglected environmental sustainability and the marine life that was the main source of income for fishermen there. – Bernama, June 3, 2021
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