GEORGE TOWN – Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow has been accused of neglecting his own Vision 2030 plan by insisting on the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project despite its huge financial outlay and the risk it poses to the ecosystem.
Penang Forum executive committee member Khoo Salma Nasution said the state’s future lies in Seberang Prai, and questioned why the protest by fishermen’s families is disregarded when Penang has branded itself as a family-oriented, green and smart state.
“Reclamation will destroy the ecosystem, period.
“With Sri Tanjung Pinang (STP) and PSR, they are exacerbating the property glut, which means thousands of people who have already bought properties there will not see returns.
“We should improve by making existing properties more rentable. Instead of PSR, we need to rehabilitate the polluted waters around Penang, so that the fishermen can make a comfortable living and supply Penangites with fresh fish.
“It is also good for Penang's image and liveability.”
She said the state should boost its bus services and overall connectivity so that people can easily move about without needing a car.
“Buses make efficient use of roads. Other cities can do it, so why is the Penang government unable to improve bus services?
“Run the ferries efficiently, and connect them to bus services. That is what the state government should be doing,” she said, citing as an example the South Korean tourist spot of Jeju Island.
She said the reclamation plan’s Island A, meant for industry development, should be scrapped, as such activities can be done in Seberang Prai.
Island B, where condominiums will be built, is also unnecessary, she said, while Island C, meant to serve as a tourist attraction, is irrelevant now that Covid-19 has struck.
“The winning design in the competition for PSR was announced in August. It shows a fanciful urban lily pad design, which is totally different from what was submitted in the EIA (environmental impact assessment).
“The Environment Department should be alerted to this. Do they expect that approval for the EIA will cover just any changes they want to make? Or are the developers going to submit a new EIA?
“They did not rehabilitate the sea north of Gurney Drive and Tg Tokong after the STP1 development, and now, STP2. It’s an environmental disaster.
“They should prove that the marine ecosystem can be rehabilitated before destroying a new area.”
Infrastructure exco Zairil Khir Johari, however, gave an assurance of environmental sustainability and a bountiful catch for fishermen, with plans to install artificial reefs under an ecology offset programme on the advice of the Fisheries Department.
“The ecology offset programme includes mangrove planting, artificial reefs, fish-aggregating devices, eco-shoreline engineering, the release of fish and prawn fry, and funding for marine ecology, fisheries, turtles and coral reef research.
“These efforts will help create new habitats for marine life and contribute to the sustainability of the fisheries sector.”
Universiti Sains Malaysia marine ecologist Chee Su Yin warned of the inevitable destruction of coastal ecosystems if plans for future land reclamation in Penang are realised.
She urged the adoption of adaptive management solutions that create opportunities for marine conservation in locations being developed. – The Vibes, October 26, 2020
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