Penang awaits Putrajaya’s reply on reclamation proposal

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang state government is awaiting a response from the federal government on its proposal on the reclamation of three islands off the south coast of Penang island.

Penang Housing and Town and Country Planning Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh said the state, which has submitted an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report as required by the law, has not received a reply from Putrajaya.

“Whether they approve or not, we have complied with the (Environmental Quality Act 1974). So, we are now waiting for a response,” he told a press conference yesterday.

He was asked about the proposal to reclaim 1,821ha of land after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak reportedly said the federal administration could not support the plan. Najib had cited the 1,500 fishermen there who will be affected by the reclamation as the reason when he visited Balik Pulau on Aug 26.

The reclamation is to fund the RM27 billion Penang Transport Master Plan but its fate now seems to be hanging in the balance.

On a separate matter, Jagdeep urged the Urban Well-being, Local Government and Housing Ministry to consider building People’s Public Housing (PPR) units on two plots of state land totalling some 4ha in Jelutong.

He said the two plots were separated by a 14ha plot belonging to the federal government and suggested all three plots be joined so that more PPR units could be built to benefit the people. – by Aaron Ngui