How did Melaka Gateway project proceed without EIA? MP demands answers

KUALA LUMPUR – A Pakatan Harapan (PH) lawmaker has threatened legal action after the Melaka government proceeded to allow the development of the mega coastal reclamation project, Melaka Gateway, without an environmental impact assessment (EIA) report.

In a statement today, Kota Melaka MP Khoo Poay Tiong cited a parliamentary written reply by Environment and Water Minister Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man dated August 8 notifying that the project developer KAJ Development Sdn Bhd had yet to submit its EIA report as required under the Environmental Quality Act 1974.

Khoo said the state must clarify why and how the project was allowed to proceed and demanded an immediate stop-work order be imposed until the issue has been clarified and a full probe into the status of the EIA has been carried out.

“An EIA report must be submitted and approved by the Environment Department for any land reclamation involving man-made islands or above 50ha in size. No project should begin until and unless the assessment has been approved by the (department),” he said.

“I will be consulting with the local communities and legal experts on the possibility of initiating legal action on this issue. The well-being of the people and environment of Melaka should be protected, not unsustainable megaprojects.”

Melaka Gateway is an offshore, mixed development project consisting of artificial islands that was first launched in 2014 by then prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and former Melaka chief minister Datuk Seri Idris Haron.

The approximately RM42 billion project involves the reclamation of 1,366ac (552ha) of land in the Melaka Strait and was estimated to create over 40,000 jobs, bring in 2.5 million tourists yearly and generate RM1.19 trillion for the economy.

However, Khoo said the project has not only failed to deliver on its promises but has also caused major environmental damage to the coastline in the area.

“The project has badly affected the fishing communities in Bandar Hilir and Duyong. It has also affected the cultural heritage of the unique Kristang community in the Portuguese Settlement,” he said.

“The Melaka Gateway project, along with others along the coastline, has triggered coastal erosion and disruption to the irrigation system, which has contributed to the increased frequency of flash floods in Melaka.”

Khoo also questioned why the state government had handed the project back to KAJ Development earlier this year after the contract was terminated by the then PH administration in 2020.

“The continuous lack of transparency has caused major doubt about the integrity and viability of the project,” he said. – The Vibes, August 17, 2022