George town: The Penang government is ready to renegotiate the proposed land reclamation project off Karpal Singh Drive in response to public concerns raised by the non-governmental organisation ‘ProtectKarpal’.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow stated that the state government remains committed to ensuring full compliance with the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process. Any decision on the project will be based solely on the outcome of the assessment. He emphasized that the public engagement session concluded on June 30, and the developer must review all concerns raised and take appropriate action. The project developer has been given until next February to obtain EIA approval.
Chow remarked that if the EIA approval is not obtained, the project may not proceed. However, if it is approved, the state government is prepared to renegotiate and review the implementation method to mitigate any potential impact. He made these remarks after officiating the groundbreaking ceremony for the public market and hawker centre in Bandar Cassia, Batu Kawan.
The Batu Kawan MP addressed concerns brought forth by the ProtectKarpal group, also known as the Protect Karpal Singh Drive Action Committee, during a recent meeting. This group, primarily composed of residents from Karpal Singh Drive, voiced their concerns over the project’s construction methods.
Chow mentioned that ProtectKarpal representatives also raised issues about the environmental implications of the project during a meeting last week. They proposed that the Middle Bank area, located near the project site, be immediately gazetted as a marine sanctuary due to its importance to local fisheries and ecological stability.
He stated that the state government is open to considering ProtectKarpal’s requests. Although an agreement is already in place between the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) and the developer, the government is open to renegotiating the terms. Chow noted that scaling down the project may require some ‘sacrifices,’ particularly regarding the land obtained from the reclamation.
Chow further explained that while sacrifices or adjustments might be necessary, they aim to strike a balance between development and the state’s environmental sustainability. It’s noteworthy that in 2020, PDC signed an agreement with PLB Engineering Bhd to redevelop the Jelutong landfill at a cost of RM1 billion. The site, previously a sanitary landfill, has only accepted construction and garden waste since 2002.
Earlier in his speech, Chow highlighted the public market and hawker centre project being built on a 7.69-acre site at a total cost of RM46 million, expected to be completed by June 23, 2027. The project comprises two stages, with the first stage of earthworks having begun on Nov 7, 2022, and completed on Jan 6 last year, followed by the second stage of building and infrastructure construction that began on June 24.