GEORGE TOWN – A Penang Forum member has taken the state government to task for failing to release the social impact assessment (SIA) report of the proposed RM30 billion Penang South Islands (PSI) reclamation project.
Khoo Salma Nasution, steering committee member of the NGO coalition, said that the SIA was completed several months ago, but both project delivery partner SRS Consortium and the state have chosen to keep quiet about it.
Penang Forum is an umbrella body of several major civil society groups here.
Salma told a media briefing here that there is a lack of transparency over the SIA report, especially with the approval process for the PSI.
“Why didn’t the authorities go public with the SIA findings and recommendations?
“The environment impact assessment (EIA) was already rejected twice, once in 2018 even though it was reapproved in 2019. But in 2022, it was rescinded again on technical grounds of not furnishing enough information.
“Now the SIA element is also missing from public scrutiny”, she said after the launch of an anti-reclamation movement based in Penang recently.
The Star had reported in May this year that the latest SIA study surveyed 314 fishermen from the Gertak Sanggul, Teluk Kumbar, Sg Batu, Permatang Tepi Laut, Pulau Betong, Kuala Sg Burung, Seri Jerejak, Batu Maung and Teluk Tempoyak fishermen units in January.
Salma stressed that reclamation is not welcome in Penang because there are dire consequences. She said there is a downside to such activities in Penang compared to places in other countries that may have mitigating factors.
She pointed out that the Batu Ferringhi tourism belt is now suffering from beach erosion, and this degrades the value of eco-tourism there.
“The state should conduct a comprehensive study to determine if reclamation in other coastal areas has impacted the beaches in Batu Ferringhi,” she said.
“If a cost analysis were to be conducted, the additional costs to mitigate land erosion would make reclamation more expensive, especially if it impacts on the ecology and habitat settlements”, she said.
It was reported that the SRS Consortium, led by Gamuda Bhd, may start reclamation work on one of the three islands in the PSI project as early as November of this year, once clearances are granted.
Three new islands are being created as part of the PSI, a large reclamation project off the island’s southern shore.
The three islands – A, B, and C – off the coastal settlement of Permatang Damar Laut, will have a combined land area of 1,821ha.
The largest island, known as Silicon island (island A), would measure 930ha. Island B will be next at 566ha, and island C at 323ha.
The PSI project was first introduced in 2015 as the funding module for the RM46 billion transport master plan. – The Vibes, October 31, 2022.
