MCA Penang seeks transparency over RM61m Batu Ferringhi erosion project

 

AN MCA leader has called on the Penang state government to provide a transparent update on the status of the RM61 mil long-term coastal mitigation project for Batu Ferringhi and Tanjung Bungah following worsening beach erosion along the popular tourist belt.

Citing recent incidents involving decades-old trees collapsing along the shoreline as evidence that the issue could no longer be treated as a seasonal phenomenon, the party’s Penang state liaison committee chairman Datuk Tan Teik Cheng said the erosion problem had become increasingly serious.

Recall that earlier this year, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow rejected claims by local non-governmental organisations that land reclamation and overdevelopment contributed to the erosion problem.

Referring to findings by the Department of Irrigation and Drainage, Chow said the erosion was primarily caused by natural factors such as seasonal weather changes and rising tides.

“Following the incident, the state government installed higher sandbags as a temporary mitigation measure,” the MCA vice president stated.

“In February, it was reported that the federal government had approved approximately RM61 mil under the 12th Malaysia Plan for a long-term coastal rehabilitation project covering a three-kilometre stretch involving Batu Ferringhi and Tanjung Bungah.”

However, Tan said there had been little public information on the implementation progress despite the worsening conditions over the past three months.

“MCA Penang urges the DAP-led Penang state government to provide a transparent update on the status of the long-term mitigation project,” he said.

“Immediate and sustainable measures must be implemented to protect both the environment and the local tourism economy before the situation deteriorates further.”

Tan noted that preserving Batu Ferringhi was not only an environmental issue but also crucial to safeguarding one of Penang’s most important tourism assets.

“If urgent action is not taken, continued erosion could threaten public safety, damage the coastal ecosystem, and affect the livelihoods of residents and businesses that depend heavily on tourism activities,” he stressed.

He added that with the next monsoon season expected within weeks, the state government should treat the matter with greater urgency.

Batu Ferringhi remains one of Penang’s key tourism destinations, attracting large numbers of domestic and international visitors annually while supporting hotels, resorts, restaurants, night markets and tourism operators across the area.

Tan warned that further deterioration of the beach could weaken Penang’s tourism image and undermine confidence among tourists and investors at a time when regional tourism competition was intensifying.

“MCA Penang maintains that environmental protection and economic development must go hand in hand,” he remarked.

“Residents deserve a proactive state government that delivers concrete action instead of endless studies while the coastline continues to deteriorate.” ‒  Focus Malaysia