Natural Resources, Environment, and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad is reserving his comments on the proposed Tioman International Airport until his ministry has combed through the project’s environmental impact assessment (EIA) report.
He said the proposed project is parked on a “crucial” marine site, which would require detailed and careful observation.
“We are going through the EIA in detail before I make further comments.
“I think the main priority is to protect the environment in Tioman.
“It’s a crucial marine site, so we will go through the EIA in detail and very carefully,” he said at a press conference at his ministry today.
Nik Nazmi was responding to a question on whether he would allow amendments to Tioman's marine park status to pave the way for the airport's construction.
Asked for a timeline on when he would comb through the EIA for the proposed airport, the minister responded: “As soon as possible.”
Public opinion sought
The EIA for the proposed Tioman International Airport went on public display on June 21, and the public has until July 20 to study the document. It can be accessed here, but it cannot be downloaded or printed.
The Department of Environment is soliciting public opinion on the project through an online form. The deadline for submission is Aug 4.
The EIA report, previously sighted by Malaysiakini, noted that the proposed airport will cause environmental damage and loss of habitat to hundreds of species of marine life on the island which was supposed to be a protected marine park.
The EIA states that the project proponents were granted approval by the Agriculture and Food Ministry in March 2022 to conduct the EIA prior to seeking approval from the National Advisory Council of Marine Parks and Marine Reserves to change the park’s status.
The EIA noted Pulau Tioman waters as a Level 1 environmentally sensitive area (ESA). Under PlanMalaysia’s guidelines, Level 1 ESA areas should not be developed.
A total of 11.25ha of coral reefs and 12.36ha of life substrates are situated within the project boundary, which will be reclaimed for airport development or affected by the reclamation activities. It identified 121 species of hard corals and 11 species of soft corals in the area.
Reclaimed land
As part of its marine conservation plan, the project’s proponent - Tioman Infra Sdn Bhd - proposed for corals within the project area to be reclaimed and relocated to a nearby island.
The proposed airport would cover an area of 186.36ha, of which 76 percent - 142.70ha - will involve reclaimed land. This is a larger proposed airport from an earlier draft of the project’s terms of reference, which stated that the project will be 94.49ha in size, of which 65.77ha will involve reclaimed land.
The project proponent - Tioman Infra Sdn Bhd - is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tioman Hill Resort Sdn Bhd, which is 50 percent owned by the Berjaya Group. The rest is equally split between various members of the Pahang royal family through Aimvesco Sdn Bhd and the late Sultan Ahmad Shah.
On June 23, the environmental group Reef Check Malaysia has since initiated an online petition against the project. At the time of writing, it has garnered 5,558 signatures. - Mkini
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.