Respect fishermen's call for mega reclamation project to be cancelled, G25 tells Penang

GEORGE TOWN, Feb 17 — The G25 group of prominent retired civil servants has called on the government to cancel the proposed controversial Penang South Islands (PSI) project.

The group, in a statement, voiced its support for the Persatuan Nelayan Pulau Pinang (Pen Mutiara) in objecting against PSI, which is also known as the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project.

The group said the voices of the fishermen, whose livelihoods will be adversely affected by this mega project, should be respected.

“We applaud the fishermen who have held steadfast in their objection of the reclamation project since it was introduced in 2015, and won the appeal to revoke the 2019 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approval for the project in 2021,” it said in the statement.

The Penang state government has since submitted a new EIA for approval.

“We urge the new government to set aside the application for the new EIA for the project in the interest of preserving the livelihood of the fishing community and the fragile marine ecosystems of the surrounding area,” it urged.

It said the reclamation works and the pollution it will cause would destroy the hunting, breeding, and nesting grounds of marine life like the green turtle, leading to long-term harm to the biodiversity of its waters.

It said this will negatively impact the food chain and swimming paths of animals that visit the area like dolphins and porpoises.

“It will disrupt the fishing grounds affecting the fishermen, the national fisheries sector, and the locals in the area, especially those from the lower income bracket who were able to buy seafood affordably directly from the fishermen,” it said.

The group said the previous government was very vocal in its support of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and in its commitment to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) to become a sustainable nation by 2030.

“The reclamation project goes against several of the SDGs,” it pointed out.

“One of them, SDG 14, covers the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development,” it added.

It also claimed that the reclamation project will cause not only irreparable damage to the marine and mangrove ecosystems on Penang’s coast, but also to the neighbouring waters of Kedah and Perak as well.

“We call upon the new government to put an end to this project for the sake of remaining true to its pledge to ensure a sustainable future for our nation,” it said.

The group admitted that reclamation works in the state are a part of its past but the state needs to move forward and consider more sustainable ways to develop for its future.

The PSI project is a massive reclamation project to create three islands, measuring a total of 4,500 acres (1,821 ha), off the southern coast of Penang island.

The project was first introduced in 2015 as the funding module of the RM46 billion Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) after SRS Consortium was appointed as the project delivery partner (PDP) for the PTMP on August 14, 2015.

The PSI has raised objections among several civil society groups including the Pen Mutiara.

Pen Mutiara has continuously objected to it despite the state government introducing various mitigation measures including the Social Impact Management Plan (SIMP) initiatives and the implementation of PSR Ecology Offset Master Plan (PEOM).