Penang govt to submit PSR project report to NRE Minister

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang state government will be submitting a report to clarify the issues raised by the Natural Resource and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar on the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project within a week's time.
State Local Government, Traffic Management and Flood Mitigation Committee Chairman Chow Kon Yeow said the state government strongly urged the minister to peruse the state's submission to the Department of Environment (DOE) to assist in attaining a better comprehension of PSR for an informed view of the project.
"The Penang state government would like to stress that as a responsible state government, it is the stand of the state to develop the PSR project in a responsible and sustainable manner.
"The PSR project will be developed to benefit all Penangites and our future generation. The affected fisherman community will be given a special attention to ensure they will also enjoy the benefits from the project," he told a press conference, here today.
Wan Junaidi said after attending the Community Feast programme in Teluk Kumbar, near here on Wednesday, the PSR project would be illegal for implementation now if the state government insisted on pursuing the project because several reports had yet to be received from the developer and the state government.
Wan Junaidi said he personally disagreed with the reclamation project to continue as it would not only affect marine resources which would affect the fishermen's income but might also cause a shift in the country's continental shelf (an underwater landmass which extends from a continent).
Chow said there was no possibility of the shifting of the continental shelf and encroachment into maritime international border after the PSR project was built.
He said the proposed project was located at a very shallow area of less than -3.5m CD (depth) on the continental shelf of Malaysia and well within the three nautical miles radius from the existing shoreline of Penang island's south coast.
"Based on the map obtained from the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency's website, Penang island and the proposed PSR project are located far from the country's international border with Indonesia," he said.
Chow also stressed out that no reclamation works had been carried out in the southern coast of Penang island for the PSR project.
He said the state government reiterated that the state did not intend to start reclamation works without the necessary approvals including the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approval.
The PSR project for the construction of three man-made islands was included in the proposed implementation of the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) that also contained a 6.5km long undersea tunnel, three highways and the Penang Sky Cab. — Bernama