‘Don’t pour sand into our rice bowl’ - fisherfolk march to Parliament

Some 200 people, many fisherfolk from Penang and Perak, marched to Parliament House this morning to protest the Penang government’s proposed Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project.

They lined the road leading into the august house and chanted “Tolak Tambak” (reject reclamation) in a bid to garner attention to their demands from ministers and MPs attending today’s parliamentary proceedings.

The group is against the PSR as they claim it will adversely affect the livelihood of fisherfolks from both states and cause environmental damage.

Penang Fisherfolk Association chairperson Nazri Ahmad addressed the crowd before they began their march from the National Monument (Tugu Negara), less than 1km away.

“The reclamation of these three islands is not a short project which will last six months, it will take 30 years. It will cause damage which will last forever and cause us many problems.

“[...] Even though the government says they will build low-cost houses there when they reclaim the land for projects, I believe not one of us will be able to stay there.

“Who will stay there? It won’t be Malaysians but people from Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Should we risk our livelihood? We risk the future of our children just to allow people from Taiwan to stay there?” he asked the crowd, who answered with a resounding “no”.

Nazri urged Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to reconsider the proposed project.

“I am sure the PM won’t agree with this in the same way he disagreed with the Forest City project (in Johor).

“I believe he won’t agree because it does not bring any benefits to the local people,” he said.

As they began to march, Penang fisherman Badrul Hisham was seen carrying a large metal pot filled with some sand and dried fish.

“This symbolises that the government is pouring sand into the rice bowl of the fisherfolks and how it will cause our fish to die,” he told Malaysiakini.

The three demands of their memorandum are for:

• National Physical Planning Council to cancel the PSR project,
• Moratorium on the sea sand-mining activities off the coast of Perak,
• A comprehensive review of the Penang Transport Master Plan project (PTMP) by independent experts and planning professionals.

The PSR project, undertaken by SRS Consortium, plans to create three artificial islands spanning 1,800ha for RM11 billion. The consortium includes Gamuda Bhd, as well as two Penang-based developers - Loh Phoy Yen Holdings Sdn Bhd and Ideal Property Development Sdn Bhd.

Parts of the islands are intended to be sold to help fund the RM45 billion PTMP.

Ministers promise attention

Later, representatives from the fisherfolk managed to enter the Parliament building to meet with Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Salahuddin Ayub as well as Deputy Rural Development Minister R Sivarasa.

Salahuddin accepted the memorandum and promised to look into the reasons for their protest, stressing that the PSR project had not been approved yet.

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad also promised to pay attention to their demands.

“We will study their views and if what they say is true, we will take the appropriate action,” he said during a press conference at the Parliament lobby.