Minister: Work on Penang’s PSR only after environmental master plan approved
PARLIAMENT | Work on the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project will not be allowed to begin until its environmental management plan (EMP) is approved by the Department of Environment.
Environment and Water Minister Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said so when answering an oral question from Che Alias Hamid (PAS-Kemaman) in the Dewan Rakyat this morning.
PARLIAMENT | Work on the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project will not be allowed to begin until its environmental management plan (EMP) is approved by the Department of Environment.
Environment and Water Minister Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said so when answering an oral question from Che Alias Hamid (PAS-Kemaman) in the Dewan Rakyat this morning.
“The movers of this project will not be able to start any work on-site until the EMP is approved by the Department of Environment.
“The EMP is one of the main conditions out of the 72 conditions that need to be fulfilled before the PSR project can obtain Environmental Impact Assessment approval,” he said.
Elaborating, Tuan Ibrahim (below) said the ministry was concerned about possible “permanent environmental damage” inflicted by the PSR project and its effects on food security.
He also noted past protests staged against the project by fisherfolk, local residents and NGOs.
The minister’s response prompted Wong Hon Wai (Harapan-Bukit Bendera) to ask if the ministry would evaluate the project’s EMP proposal “professionally and not politically”, noting the economic potential of the project.
The PSR project was mooted to help fund the DAP-led Penang government’s RM46-billion Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP).
The PAS deputy president assured that the ministry would act professionally.
“The ministry guarantees that we will look at this in a transparent, fair and professional manner,” Tuan Ibrahim added.
Involving large-scale reclamation work off the coast of Permatang Dasar Laut near Bayan Lepas, the PSR project aims to create three artificial islands each measuring 9.3sqkm, 4.45sqkm and 3.23sqkm.
With a combined land mass of 1,821ha; factories, condominiums and affordable housing are set to be built on the island.
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