No reclaimation works at south coast of Penang: Kon Yeow

GEORGE TOWN: No reclamation works has been conducted at the south coast of Penang island to finance the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) according to State Local Government, Traffic Management and Flood Mitigation Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow.
He said work will not start until and unless the state government has obtained approval from the Department of Environment (DOE).
He said the the state was now in the process of completing the Second Schedule Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), formerly known as the Detailed EIA (DEIA), to be submitted to the DOE.
He said consultants engaged by the state were putting the "finishing touches" to the EIA which encompasses eight volumes.
These eight volumes comprises the EIA, hydraulic study, Fisheries Impact Assessment (FIA), Social Impact Assessment (SIA), Traffic Impact Assessment (TIA), Water Quality Study, Landing of Sea Turtles Study and a Tsunami Impact Assessment.
Chow said these studies were required by the National Physical Planning Council which will decide on whether the reclamation could go ahead or not.
"We will be ready to submit the EIA to the DOE by the second half of April," he said in a press conference today with Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.
Lim meanwhile said his administration was a law abiding one and will not do anything illegal.
He stressed the reclamation project has not started since approval has yet to be obtained from the relevant authorities.
"The state government will respect and observe the law," he added.
Both Penang government leaders were responding to Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar who reportedly said the DOE can impose a stop work order for projects without EIA approval.
He had said this in reply to a parliamentary question from Tasek Gelugor MP Datuk Shahbudin Yahaya who asked about the reclamation project.