GEORGE TOWN – Proponents of the Penang South Islands (PSI) project must submit a new environmental impact assessment (EIA) report if it wants the proposed project to proceed.
Department of Environment (DoE) director-general Wan Abdul Latiff Wan Jaffar said the new EIA report must be submitted and processed as required under Section 34A of the Environmental Quality Act 1974 (Act 127).
“The appeals board had convened from September 6 to 8 to hear the preliminary objection filed by Zakaria Ismail against the DoE director-general’s decision to approve the EIA report for the proposed reclamation and dredging works for PSI on June 25, 2019.
“The board, after hearing and scrutinising the documents and arguments put forward by the appellant and respondent, and with the powers provided under the Environmental Quality Regulations (Board of Appeal) 2003, had allowed the preliminary objection by the appellant,” he said in a statement today.
As such, he said the EIA report approved by the DoE on June 25 has been set aside.
Wan Abdul Latiff said the DoE respects the decision of the appeals board regarding the case and the project proponents have already been informed of the matter.
“If the proponents still want to continue with the proposed development project, a new EIA report must be submitted for it to be processed in accordance with Section 34A of the Environmental Act 1974 (Act 127),” he said.
Last Wednesday, three members of the DoE appeals board, led by sessions court judge Rozina Ayob, set aside the EIA approval for the project. The other two members of the board are Prof Datuk Mazlin Mokhtar and Associate Professor Ramdzani Abdullah.
The PSI project covering 17 sq km involves the development of three man-made islands covering an area of 1,700ha in waters off Permatang Damar Laut, near Bayan Lepas. – Bernama, September 10, 2021
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