Penang Umno has withdrawn its motion to cancel reclamation projects in Penang.

Muhamad Farid Saad (BN-Pulau Betong) withdrew the motion he filed for the second time this sitting after trying to table an amendment to the motion.

The amendment wants the state assembly to direct the state executive council to hold the  reclamation projects involving the creation of three artificial islands in the southern post of the island until the Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (DEIA) has been approved by the Department of Environment.

Farid’s earlier motion had urged the state government to scrap the reclamation projects at the southern post of the island and to find alternative funding for the Transport Master Plan.

“I submitted my motion to speaker Law Choo Kiang this morning and found that the same amendments will also be filed by the state government,” Farid said.

After his speech, state executive councillor Chow Kon Yeow (DAP-Padang Kota) invoked Section 34 (8) of the Standing Order to table a motion without prior notice on reclamation.

“We express our concerns for the 4,500 acres of reclamation involving the creation of three artificial islands for the purpose of development to fund the cost of the Penang Transport Master Plan, which will impact the environment as raised by assemblymen from the state government and opposition,” Chow said.

“We ask the state assembly to make a decision that it is compulsory for the Penang government to not begin the reclamation projects until the Detailed Environment Impact Assessment is approved by the Department of Environment, which must be monitored and reviewed by the Penang Transport Council,” he added.

“That alternative funding, including from those which are ‘feasible and sustainable’ from the federal government, to fund the RM27 billion Penang Transport Master Plan,  be sought,” Chow added.

Farid filed the same motion in November, where it created havoc when Teh Yee Cheu (DAP-Tanjong Bungah) voted to support it while five assemblypersons -Cheah Kah Peng (PKR-Kebun Bunga), Norlela Ariffin (PKR-Penanti), Lee Khai Loon (PKR -Machang Bubok), Dr T Jayabalan (PKR-Batu Uban) and party whip Ong Chin Wen (PKR-Bukit Tengah) abstained from voting.

After a 30-minute debate session, the house unanimously voted to pass the motion read out by Chow.

CM: State government’s stand remains

Met outside the Dewan, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the state government’s stand remains, that the reclamation projects will not be carried out until the DEIA is approved by the Department of Environment (DOE).

“We have agreed to agree to the motion,” said Lim, who was smiling widely but appeared relieved that the matter has found a closure and avoided a major DAP-PKR crisis.

Asked about Farid’s proposal during debate that Teh and the five PKR ‘rebels’ be included in the Penang Transport Council, Chief Minister said “yes, they will be appointed”.

“Cheah is already in the Penang Transport Council, so we will appoint the others, after all, they are all Pakatan assemblypersons.”

Lim also said, “We will also consider appointing some opposition representatives into the Penang Transport Council.”

Teh and the five PKR assemblypersons, described as “rebels” when this issue first arose, said the events in the state assembly was a “victory for the people of Penang”.

“We initiated the plan to amend the Umno’s motion, and after much discussion and negotiation with all sides, we decided to allow Chow to table a fresh motion,” said Cheah.

Last night, Malaysiakini reported that the PKR reps drafted the motion that was read out by Chow today.

“Umno’s original motion to scrap all reclamation projects was too drastic, our request for them to be postpone and withheld until the DEAI is approved is more acceptable to everybody,” he added.

Speaker Law said the events today was historic for the Penang state assembly, and he thanked leaders of BN and Pakatan for their willing to agree to the motion as such a move was due to “very high political wisdom”.

“It was a long and exhausting negotiation process and much compromise was needed from both sides, the consensus was only reached at the very last minute,” Law said.

“The most important thing is that everyone put people’s interest as the top priority,” he added.

During a press conference later, Farid denied that the Umno reps supported Chow’s motion but said they “abstained from voting”.

His earlier motion was withdrawn as he was aware of the negotiations going between DAP and PKR to amend his motion.

Anyway, the content of the motion filed by Chow was similar to the one he filed in November, Farid said.

He had then also urged that the reclamation projects be halted pending social and environmental studies, Farid recalled.

“So we have actually won as the motion which was debated today is similar the one we filed in November,” he said.

Farid said he decided to withdraw his motion today as he was not confident that it would get the support of the five PKR men as their party had directed them to “toe the state government line”.

Farid then reiterated his urging to the state government to appoint five prominent individuals into the Transport Master Plan.

They are Penang Island City Councillor Lim Mah Hui, former Transparency-International Malaysia chairperson Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim, Consumers Association of Penang president SM Mohamed Idris, environmental activist Jimmy Lim and well-known architect Lim Chong Keat.

State opposition leader Jahara Hamid (BN-Telok Ayer Tawar) said Umno withdrew its motion for the sake of the people.

“So that the motion tabled on reclamation can be debated and passed today,” said Jahara.

“We do not have such big egos,” she quipped.

She supported Farid’s proposal to appoint the five vocal NGO activists into the Penang Transport Council, saying “they are professionals and very well-versed with public transportation issues”.