Penang chief minister Chow Kon Yeow said the project will not be continued with the existing company if it failed to obtain environmental approval within the deadline.
“If the (concession) company cannot obtain the environmental impact assessment approval within the specified period, then the deadline will not be extended… (therefore) the project will not be continued under that company,” he told reporters after an event in Bukit Mertajam today.
Asked about the possibility of appointing another company if the existing company fails to meet the EIA requirements, he said the state government would consider suitable alternatives.
In March, the environment department said it had rejected the EIA report on the project, thereby halting its implementation.
The proposed RM1 billion project involves the rehabilitation of the former 34-hectare Jelutong landfill site, which has been closed, and the reclamation of the sea area adjacent to Persiaran Karpal Singh.
The project was awarded to PLB Engineering Bhd through a joint development agreement signed in 2020 involving the Penang Development Corporation, the state government and the company.
Chow said the previous state government had granted the company five extensions of time to allow it to meet the requirements for obtaining EIA approval. However, after so many extensions have been granted, it is time for the state government to make a decision.
However, he refused to disclose the final extension period and said it would be announced later, Bernama reported.
Chow said the concession company must meet the conditions stipulated by the environment department before any decision is made regarding the continuation of the project.
He said that correspondence between the state government and the concession company was continuing, with the company having submitted feedback on the decision previously conveyed by the state government.
“We have been informed that additional conditions are imposed from time to time, which are among the constraints faced by the company. However, after so many extensions have been granted, it is time for the state government to make a decision. There are new conditions that take time to fulfil and may not be easy to comply with,” he said.
Chow said the state government wants to finalise the issue as soon as possible. However, he said restoration work at the landfill site still needs to be carried out. “The rehabilitation process needs to be carried out, and when the time comes, we will consider other options,” he said. - FMT
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