GEORGE TOWN – Environmental groups here are demanding details on the state’s claim that 95% of respondents in a poll support the proposed Penang Hill cable-car project.
The non-governmental organisations also want to know how exactly the survey was conducted, saying activists and residents have voiced opposition to the controversial project and find it unnecessary as the hill’s existing funicular train service is functioning well.
Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) president Meenakshi Raman said she objected to the project when asked to provide feedback.
“This claim by the state needs justification.
“We do not know how the number was arrived at, or how the feedback was obtained.
“Some of the NGOs contacted were CAP (Consumers’ Association of Penang), SAM and Penang Forum. We are all opposed to the cable-car plan. I am aware that some residents living on the hill are also not keen on it.”
She requested more time to give detailed feedback.
“Two months is not enough, especially during the pandemic. It is important for concerned citizens to be able to visit the display (of the project details) and give their feedback.”
Penang Malaysian Nature Society adviser K. Kanda Kumar questioned which parties were approached for the poll.
“If tourism industry players were asked, they would definitely say yes (to the project) because it is added income.
“But why do we need so many people up there (on Penang Hill)? That is the question we need to ask.”
The hill has a “maximum carrying capacity” of 10,000 people per day, he said, and the cable-car project threatens to breach this, adding stress to the area’s sensitive ecosystem.
The bird-watching enthusiast added that artificial noise there should be controlled.
“This is the last remaining hill in Penang where people can go to enjoy nature.
“For the past five years, we have seen a decline in birds on the hill because there are too many people up there and the noise level is very high,” he said, adding that birds are an indicator of the environment’s health.
Kanda said the jeep track leading to the hilltop can be used if the funicular train service is disrupted.
“To spend hundreds of millions of ringgit as an alternative if the train breaks down holds no logic.”
Ahmad Chik, an architect who has lived on the hill for almost 30 years, said the overwhelming support for the proposal cited by the state government may be true, as most people are unaware about the project’s true scale and impact.
“Uninformed people would say, yes, they want a cable car.
“I don’t think they consider the traffic implications, the environmental factors, and also the number of people coming to Penang Hill that would change the character of the place.
“I really don’t know where they got the figure from, but a lot of NGOs in Penang are pretty much against the project. However, I can’t speak for every resident.”
On Monday, Penang Hill Corporation general manager Datuk Cheok Lay Leng said close to 95% of 2,000 respondents surveyed over two years support the project.
The public is encouraged to provide feedback and suggestions to the Penang Island City Council office at Komtar, Seberang Prai City Council and Penang Hill lower station from now till December 25. – The Vibes, October 30, 2020
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