Malacca AJA reclamation project rejected by DOE

 

The Department of Environment (DOE) has rejected an application by reclamation developers to carry out a massive land reclamation project in Pekan Klebang, Malacca.

A DOE official, who requested anonymity, confirmed that the project’s EIA report was rejected on March 2.

“(EIA report) did not fulfil requirements under Section 34A(2C) of the Environmental Quality Act 1974,” he told Malaysiakini.

Section 34A (2) of the act states that an EIA report “shall contain an assessment of the impact such activity will have or is likely to have on the environment” and “proposed measures that shall be undertaken to prevent, reduce or control the adverse impact on the environment”.

The developer is Konsortium Pembangunan Tanah Laut (Melaka) Sdn Bhd.

A check by Malaysiakini shows the companies owned by Malacca Umno deputy chief Mohamad Ali Mohamad and former deputy exco Ghazale Muhamad own the concession areas under the proposed project.

Their companies were awarded the concession areas during the period when Umno/BN was ruling the state and Ghazale was the deputy exco overseeing related matters, hence this has raised the question of possible conflict of interest.

Project AJA, which is under the Melaka Waterfront Economic Zone (M-WEZ) blueprint, plans to reclaim 300 acres of land in the water area around Pekan Klebang.

Meanwhile, M-WEZ is expected to take up 25,000 acres of land and cover 33km of Malacca coastline.

Earlier this month, DOE said that from 1999 until now, 11 reclamation projects located in the M-WEZ area had been approved, covering 1,091.72 hectares (about 2,698 acres) of land.

In other words, 89 percent of the land is yet to be reclaimed under the 25,000-acre M-WEZ project. - Mkini