PAS a threat to Penang’s economy and future

 

From Joshua Woo Sze Zeng

PAS and the Penang Sustainable Natural Heritage Association (Lekas) have again raised empty objections against the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project.

This is to be expected as Lekas chairman Zikrullah Ismail is one of PAS’ youth leaders in Penang.

It is clear that PAS is going all out to stop sustainable development in Penang, wanting the state to suffer economically.

When Kedah’s menteri besar from PAS threatened to cut off water from flowing into Penang, these PAS leaders in Penang kept quiet.

When Kedah’s menteri besar from PAS unveiled the RM40 billion sea reclamation megaproject in Langkawi, these same PAS leaders in Penang went silent.

But when the Penang state government wanted to proceed with the PSR as part of the state’s efforts to pursue sustainable development, these PAS leaders suddenly became eco-warriors and went all out to criticise the project.

A still from the Widad@Langkasuka project video shows an artist’s impression of the reclamation project by the wave breaker area at Padang Mat Sirat in Langkawi.

Obviously, these PAS leaders are spinning issues for political mileage at the expense of the overall economic well-being of Penang and the future of the state.

Penang should not be turned into a backwater state. Penang is different from PAS-led states such as Terengganu, Kedah, and Kelantan.

The 2019 gross domestic product per capita of these three states were RM28,890 (Terengganu), RM21,488 (Kedah), and RM13,464 (Kelantan), while Penang was RM53,342.

The highest among the PAS-led states is Terengganu, where the mining, burning, and refining of fossil fuel forms a large part of the state’s economy.

PAS leaders wholeheartedly embraced Terengganu’s carbon-intensive economy but then fervently preach about environmentalism in Penang. Hypocritical political antics?

Penang is pursuing sustainable development through the PSR project that upholds the environmental, social, and governance standards.

Sea reclamation is reported as a “mature and effective technology that can provide predictable levels of safety” by the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the world’s top authority on climate matters. (The Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate: A Special Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2019).

PSR will help to secure Penang’s economy and future, while PAS continues to spin tales leading to the state’s economic deterioration. - FMT

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.