The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) wants the Penang government to scrap the reclamation project along the coastal road of Permatang Damar Laut, near Batu Maung.

CAP president SM Mohamed Idris said the project would affect the environment, life and livelihood of 300 coastal fishermen in the area, including Pantai Indah.

He expressed disappointment that the local residents were not officially informed by the state government about the impending reclamation project.

He feared that the fishing folks in Permatang Damar Laut would suffer the same fate as those in Tanjong Tokong and Sungai Gelugor as their land had been reclaimed for development projects.

“The locals do not know the real purpose of the project and are worried of their future,” Mohamed said in a statement in Penang today.

He urged the state government to publicise the real purpose of the land reclamation and to cancel it as the project also threatened the surrounding environment.

“The state should assist the fishing community in this area to increase its catch and solve the long-standing problem of sludge pollution that has yet to be effectively tackled and has become more serious now,” Mohamed said.

Conceptual stage

When contacted, PKR assemblyperson for Batu Maung, Abdul Malik Kassim, told CAP 'not to jump the gun' as the project, which is part of the state’s Transport Master Plan, is still in the conceptual stage.

The RM27-billion Transport Master Plan is a mega-infrastructure project which includes the construction of three highways and an undersea bed tunnel linking the island to Butterworth on the mainland, which is supposed to be ready by 2030.

However, the RM6.3-billion undersea bed tunnel has been criticised by civil society groups as being a threat to Penang’s environment.

Malik said the state government would never get the RM27 billion needed to realise the Transport Master Plan from the federal government.

“If there is anyone who wants to assist us in getting this RM27 billion, we would welcome it as we then do not have to do any land reclamation,” Malik told Malaysiakini .

“At the moment, the tender has been awarded to SRS consortium as the project delivery partner, and consultants are working on the proposed design and planning stage.

“They have proposed the land reclamation project as part of the payment for the work to complete the Transport Master Plan,”he added.

Malik said the consortium still needed to obtain licences from the federal government before the company could implement the project.

Nothing concrete

Once the proposed project is agreed upon, Malik said the consortium would have to obtain approvals from the relevant authorities, including the Department of Environment.

“It is during this time that consultations are held between various stakeholders in the project, including the residents in the area, and the fishing folk,” Malik said.

He noted that land reclamation project had been carried out in several other areas like Jelutong (to build the Lim Chong Eu Expressway) and in Tanjung Bungah.

“Those affected have received or are in the process of receiving their compensation,” he said.

“At present, there is nothing concrete. So, please do not jump the gun before it happens,” he said.