Chow brushes off Gerakan call for reclamation debate

 

Fishermen in the southern coast of Penang will be among those affected when reclamation work begins for the Penang South Islands project.

PETALING JAYA: Penang chief minister Chow Kon Yeow has dismissed a call by Gerakan to debate the massive Penang South Islands reclamation project, saying the time had passed for disputes, questions or answers on the project.

Chow said the state government’s current focus is on the implementation of the project, Bernama reported.

“Next week, I will announce our ideas for the project, especially on Island A (one of the three islands to be reclaimed). That is our focus at the moment,” he said.

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Chow said the project, which entails the creation of three artificial islands off the south coast, had gone through a long process of eight years before the environmental impact assessment report was approved.

Chow said if any party was not satisfied with the implementation of the project, they could take the matter to court.

The call for a debate had come from Dominic Lau, Gerakan president and head of Perikatan Nasional in Penang.

Asked by reporters for his response, Chow said: “Let’s look ahead. If he (Lau) didn’t take part in the process before this, I can’t say anything because that has passed. Maybe he wants to take it to court, that’s his right. At this stage, there is no need (to debate). Everyone is busy preparing for the state elections,” he said.

The Penang South Islands project calls for the creation of three man-made islands with a land mass of 1,700ha in the waters of the south coast. Island A, the first to be developed, will be located off Permatang Damar Laut near Bayan Lepas.

The project has received objections over the years from the fishing community and environmental NGOs because of possible damage to the marine ecosystem. - FMT