The Malaysian Insight

PENANG civil groups and activists have staged another protest against the proposed Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project off the southern coast of Penang island.

Sahabat Alam Malaysia’s wheelchair-bound president, S.M. Mohamed Idris, said the “madness” has to stop.

Recently, he said the reclamation project to build three manmade islands was not needed when Penang has overdevelopment and a property overhang.

He said most people – the silent majority – did not protest against the PSR because they did not understand the impact of the mega project.

“The silent majority? Of course, lah. Those who understand will speak out,” he said during the protest this afternoon on Jalan Masjid Negeri near his office.

Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow had said the silent majority in Penang supported the project, as well as the Penang Transport Master Plan, which the PSR is meant to raise funds for.

The PSR project is scheduled to be presented to the National Physical Planning Council (NPPC), chaired by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, on April 16.

Chow said yesterday that a decision on the project was expected then.

Protester Zarina Baharom, 52, said people who were silent could express their disapproval differently.

“We will have another election,” said the woman, who used to live in Permatang Damar Laut, which sits on the shore of where the proposed reclamation will take place.

Zarina’s mother and other family members still live in the village, and she is upset over the fate of the fishing community whose livelihoods will be affected by the reclamation.

She said many of the fishermen were not highly educated or were school dropouts, and lacked prospects for other jobs.

“They are regular fishermen, whose ‘sampan’ are eight to ten feet. They don’t have big trawlers to go out further into the sea.

“The manmade islands are exactly where these people fish. Why is the state literally throwing sand into their rice bowls? How will they survive?” she told reporters during the protest by some 20 people.

Zarina said even if the state offered compensation, the money would not last forever.

She also did not accept the explanation that the three proposed islands would not block fishermen’s access to the open sea, and they could still go out to fish.

Yesterday, state agriculture exco Dr Afif Bahardin said the state government has set up access channels between the three islands to facilitate the movement of fishermen’s boats to the open sea.

He said jetties would be built along the coast and priority would be given to the local fishermen when it came to business and entrepreneurial opportunities in the PSR area.

“The fishermen will still have to go further out. But they don’t have trawlers. They won’t be able to afford them,” Zarina argued.

“When they reclaim the islands, they will disrupt the marine ecosystem and impact the fishing grounds anyway,” she said, saying that fishermen’s hauls would be badly affected.

Penang Forum’s Khoo Salma Nasution also questioned who the PSR project truly benefitted, likening it with Johor’s Forest City on reclaimed land.

Properties at Forest City are said to be beyond the affordability of average Malaysians.

She also asked why people who had sent in forms or written in their objections against the draft Penang Structure Plan (PSP) 2030 were not called up for the hearing last month.

“It is as if they don’t want to hear the people’s views. They interviewed a few, but many were not called up even though they wrote letters or filled in the forms for their feedback,” Khoo said.

The last public hearing on PSP 2030 was on February 22. Only 53 respondents attended.

The PSR and PTMP are listed on the PSP 2030, which will be sent to the state planning committee for approval on March 14.

Once approved, it will be gazetted and also sent to the NPPC with the PSR proposal next month.

Meanwhile, in a separate press conference, the Penang Fishermen’s Association urged the state government to hold closed talks with the group to understand how the fishing community would be affected by the reclamation.

The association’s chairman, Nazri Ahmad, said the three manmade islands would destroy fish breeding grounds, which are also where fishermen source for prawns and crabs.

He said for the state to truly understand their problems, the discussion should be chaired by Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow himself.

Nazri said there had never been a discussion between the state and the leaders of the association, even under the previous Lim Guan Eng administration.

There were only open public forums, but no meetings with the fishermen that would allow them to raise issues more effectively.

“When Lim was CM, we write a letter and sent two memoranda. There were no replies. Three days ago, we sent a letter by Pos Laju and email to ask for a meeting. We hope the new CM can make this meeting happen.

“We are not after money. We just want a win-win situation for everyone, and to be able to continue fishing for a living,” Nazri said. – March 1, 2019.