Penang begins waste segregation

GEORGE TOWN: Enforcement of waste segregation by-laws in Penang will begin in June next year even though implementation began today.

State Local Government, Traffic Management and Flood Mitigation Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said this was to give enough time for the public to get used to separating their waste.

He said discussions, awareness and education programmes will be undertaken by the local councils and the Penang Green Council to ensure people can comply.

He nonetheless warned that compounds will be issued to households when the grace period ends while management bodies of stratified properties can be taken to court for non-compliance.

"When the policy is widely supported by the people then enforcement action will be minimal or not needed," he added in his speech when launching the implementation today.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng in his speech later also urged the public to fully adopt the policy.

He said each Penang resident generated an average of 1.1kg of waste a day which totalled 1,700 tonnes of rubbish collected daily.

He said the Penang Island City Council and Seberang Prai Municipal Council this year allocated RM95.64million and RM98.99million respectively to deal with waste and public health.

"An estimated RM2.5million can be saved annually if the policy can reduce waste taken to landfills by 4%," he added.

Meanwhile, when speaking on the federal government's reported rejection of a cable car project across the Penang Channel, Lim said the cable car pylons across the waters will not impede the passing of ships as the four structures will be spaced 1km apart.

Lim said the pylons are "as tall as Komtar" (232m) and saw no reason why the alignment for the cable car was a problem.

"These pylons will be lighted up at night, it will be romantic," he quipped to laughter at a press conference today and welcomed talks with Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai on the issue.

On another matter, Penang Works, Utilities and Transportation Committee chairman Lim Hock Seng maintained the state had not paid anything for the proposed undersea tunnel project.
He said what was paid for was a 1.48ha plot of land in Bandar Tanjung Pinang, valued at some RM135 million, as the fee of the feasibility study and detailed design of three paired roads to Consortium Zenith BUCG Sdn Bhd (CZBUCG) which is the developer for the roads and tunnel project.

He said the total fee for the feasibility studies of the three roads and tunnel was RM305 million and that the company had only claimed for RM138 million so far which meant the state still owed the company some RM3 million.

"There is no payment made towards the tunnel project as CZBUCG has never ask for the payment," he said after the matter was raised by Gerakan Youth on Tuesday.