Penang Hill cable car project will destroy environment, cause extinction: CAP

KUALA LUMPUR – The integrity of the environment and quality of life “should not be sacrificed at the altar of tourist dollars”, said Consumers’ Association of Penang on the greenlit plan for cable cars connecting Botanical Gardens to Penang Hill.

The consumer advocate group said the thousands of people going to Penang Hill has already exceeded its carrying capacity as well as the inadequate sewage and waste disposal facilities.

“The provision of a cable car will lead to the construction of hotels, restaurants, theme parks, homes, and roads to cater for the increased number of tourists and residents.  

“Its impact will also cause soil erosion, degraded land slopes and increased landslides. The authorities have obviously not learnt any lesson from the floods that have caused massive landslides, uprooted many trees, and cut off communication on the hill.

“This is bound to lead to loss of forest cover and pollution of streams on the hill. It will result in the reduction of habitats, and the consequent extinction of valuable plants, animals, birds, and insects,” it said in a statement today.

It added the cable car station, which will be in Youth Park and the Botanical Gardens, will exacerbate traffic congestion and ruin the areas’ tranquillity and greenery.

A week ago, environmental watchdog Sahabat Alam Malaysia voiced its opposition to the cable car project, highlighting the need to ensure the environmental and biodiversity sustainability, management and conservation of Penang Hill, especially given its recognition as a Unesco-Biosphere Reserve.

“Our fear is that the continued economic viability of the cable car will necessitate more tourists and more tourism products on the hill, beyond its maximum carrying capacity of 4,800 persons at any one time, as per the 2016 SAP (Special Area Plan).”

It also called for the Penang government to address concerns on environmental and social impacts as well as being transparent on the 30-year concession awarded to Hartasuma Sdn Bhd.

Local integrated rolling stock and rail services company Hartasuma was awarded the tender for the RM245 million cable car project on December 14. 

Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, who is also Penang Hill Corporation chairman, said the project is expected to take three years to complete. 

“A total of six companies participated in the call through the request for proposal for the Penang Hill cable car service, before the evaluation committee comprising various agencies evaluated the proposals according to the requirements set, before selecting Hartasuma Sdn Bhd.

“Following an open bidding process, the estimated investment by the successful bidder is expected to be approximately RM245 million and the project is based on a concession period of 30 years,” he was quoted as saying from Bernama.

He said the project was awarded through a public-private partnership involving design, finance, operations and transfer or a subset of the joint venture partnership basis. – The Vibes, December 20, 2022