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Two politicians from the Socialist Progressive Front have expressed shock that private companies may have been asked to submit proposals to reclaim land on Penang's northern post.
PSM central committee member Teh Yee Cheu questioned why a private company would want to submit the proposal when the northern beachfront is not designated for reclamation under the 2020 Penang Structure Plan.
Teh recalled that this Plan was gazetted in 2007, under the previous Barisan Nasional administration.
"We are worried that the 2030 Structure Plan may be revised to change the designation of the area, from 'not for reclamation' into 'good for reclamation'," Teh said at a press conference in Batu Feringghi today.
He pointed out that the 2030 Structure Plan had been gazetted on Oct 24 this year, while the Penang government said that mega-projects would be a part of it.
The former DAP Tanjung Bungah assemblyperson expressed hope that the state government will not incorporate a reclamation project into the 2030 Structure Plan.
"Even though the reclamation proposal may not be included in the revised version of the 2030 Structure Plan, we are worried there is already a precedence.
"We are concerned that a plan similar to the Penang South Reclamation project may take place at the island's northern post," added Teh, who was PSM's Sungai Pinang candidate in the 2018 general election.
Teh's remarks follow concerns raised by another activist, Citizen Awareness Chant Group legal adviser Yan Lee, who on Oct 30 claimed that the project would involve the creation of an island and reclamation of a shorefront in the location.
Yan Lee claimed that according to a proposal, the project, involving 300 acres of land, would begin near the floating mosque in Tanjung Bungah and continue northwards to the Rasa Sayang Resort in Batu Ferringhi.
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"Question to Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow (above), and please be CAT (competent, accountable and transparent): is there such a proposal to the state government and are you considering the 300-acre reclamation?" Yan Lee had asked.
Already, NGOs and fisherfolk are up in arms over the proposed reclamation in the south, which spans 1,821 hectares and involves the creation of three artificial islands on state land.
Penang plans to develop and sell 30 percent of the development on the islands to cover the cost of the Penang Transport Master Plan, which includes a light rail transit link from the airport in Bayan Lepas to Komtar, the state government administrative complex.
Accompanying Teh at the press event was PRM state committee member Kelvin Chuah, who said the creation of the three fake islands was not part of the Penang 2020 Structure Plan.
He said only a small part of the area in Bayan Lepas was designated for reclamation to accommodate the LRT project.
However, the state government had incorporated the reclamation in the revised version of the 2020 Structure Plan, Chuah said.
"We are against the proposed northern reclamation project by the private sector. There are proposed high-end buildings and yacht facilities, but the beachfront will be sacrificed," Chuah said.
"The current sea view will no longer be the same. The view from Miami beach (in Batu Ferringhi, photo below) will be blocked. The beach may give way and will be affected by reclamation," added Chuah, who was PRM candidate for Tanjung Bungah in GE14.
"Currently, commercial office and high end condominium sales are low. Why do we need to reclaim more land to build commercial space and condominiums?" Chuah asked.
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On Nov 5, the state's Buletin Mutiara quoted Chow as announcing a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the development of the site in Batu Ferringhi.
Chow said there was a proposal to turn the 4.2 acres of land into a resort and spa as the plot had been vacant for years.
“It was an old relocation site for the Penang tsunami victims. There were temporary houses for the victims in the past. The site was under the purview of Chief Minister Incorporated," Buletin Mutiara quoted Chow as saying.
“There was a Request for Proposal in the past, but there was no suitable proposal at that time.”
According to Chow, the project was proposed to be undertaken by a private entity based on the BOT (design and build – operate – transfer) framework.
“The lease period is 30 years. Thereafter, options will be given to renew another two 30-year periods, consecutively from the date when the offer is accepted," he added.
“The project sponsor must provide convincing evidence that it has strong financial backing with a minimum paid-up capital of RM5 million, and can successfully arrange the financing for the project," Chow stressed.
“The estimated cost of the project ranges between RM10 million and RM100 million, depending on the number of proposed rooms (up to 100 rooms) by the project sponsor." - Mkini
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