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Nurul Izzah gets backing over call to cancel Penang's mega reclamation project

GEORGE TOWN: More quarters have come forward to voice their support for Permatang Pauh member of parliament Nurul Izzah Anwar over her call for both the federal and state governments to cancel the controversial Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project.

Joining in the fray is the Tanjung Bunga Residents Association (TBRA), saying it is pleased that Nurul Izzah continues to lend her powerful voice to the rakyat's protest in Penang against the massive reclamation project, now referred to as the Penang South Islands (PSI) project.

According to TBRA treasurer Zulfikar Abdul Aziz, the project raises many concerns about the permanent negative impact that will be incurred on the environment, and the people living in the surrounding communities.

The Penang government, he said, argued that for Penang to maintain its competitive edge, the PSI was essential.

"However, TBRA is concerned that the state continuously fails to take into consideration the health, environmental and social impacts of this massive endeavour.

"We are encouraged by Nurul Izzah's comments: 'The Ministry of Environment and Water must revoke any earlier approval provided by the Department of Environment and energise all possible efforts to collaborate with the Penang government in managing the people's socio-economic recovery as we chart the uncertain post-pandemic recovery terrain'.

"The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report for the PSR project clearly states that: 'Permanent destruction and residual impacts will be suffered by the mudflat ecosystem, fishing grounds, turtle landings and some of the coral reefs on Pulau Rimau. This permanent destruction will have a significant negative impact on fisheries resources, fishermen and the security of the country's food supply.'

"TBRA is alarmed that Tanjung Bungah assemblyman Zairil Khir Johari, who is also the state Infrastructure and Transport Committee chairman, has once again come out vehemently to support this project. He seems oblivious to the real environmental and financial consequences of PSI," he said today.

Zulfikar said Zairil pointed to an "independent study" by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to back his claim that the PSI would be a "key recovery driver of the state".

"Unfortunately, this study has not been made available to the rakyat… we hope that our 'YB' would be kind and responsible enough to share the entire study freely on his social media platforms.

"While it is impossible to say with certainty what the legacy of the Covid-19 pandemic will be for Penang and its government's proclivity for mega projects, what has become obvious is that employees have ditched their commutes and office spaces, and switched to working from their homes.

"The state government needs to see this as a watershed moment in history that marks the end of a traffic-jam era and usher in a new one. The business models for delivering infrastructure will need to change whereby parks, trails and other green spaces need to take higher priority.

"Perhaps, the state government needs to rethink its mega projects like the PSR which involves filling sand/rock material equivalent to 76,000 Olympic size swimming pools into a narrow straits with a sensitive ecological system as the changes on our climate, and the repercussions of this pandemic is going to require more creative thinking about urban infrastructure," he said.

Zulfikar, however, added that anything that decreases the dependence on the car is a good thing for climate change and sustainability and for its effect on the family budget and the cost of urban infrastructure.

TBRA, he said, is encouraged by the rapid appearance of new bike lanes on the island and hoped that the government would use this crisis to rebuild the economy based on modern, better and more humane strategies.

"We need a very different kind of economics if we are to build a socially just and ecologically sound future for the next generation.

"We therefore support the call by Nurul Izzah to cancel the PSR project. It is the right thing to do," he added.

Nurul Izzah, in a statement on Monday, had said that the massive reclamation project should be cancelled because of the immediate pressing needs of the Covid-19 pandemic, and to preserve Penang's valuable fishing grounds, the livelihood of fishermen and overall food security.

In response, Zairil said the reclamation project had been identified by the Penang Socio-Economic Recovery Consultative Council (PSERCC) as a key recovery driver of the state.

The project was to ensure Penang's economy survived as much as its people during and after the current Covid-19 crisis and is needed now more than ever as a catalytic development project for Penang.

Meanwhile, the Teluk Kumbar and Sungai Batu Fishermen's Units also welcomed Nurul Izzah's call.

Both units are expected to be directly affected if the mega reclamation project proceeds.

"We have conducted a series of protests against the project as we are well aware of the negative effects the project will likely bring in the future.

"Indeed, with the raging pandemic, which resulted in many industries not functioning as normal and loss of jobs, the fishing profession remains strong and sustainable and continues to help the local community," they said.

As such, they urged the Penang government to rethink its plan for the state's future development and cancel the PSR project for the continuous survivability of the fishermen.

"We want to remind the state government that we will not stop fighting to protect the sea, a place where we make a living and we call on the people to stand in solidarity with us," they added.

The Teluk Kumbar Fishermen's Unit is headed by Roslizan Ramli while Zakaria Ismail heads the Sungai Batu Fishermen's Unit.

#kw, PSR, support, Nurul Izzah Anwar, TBRA, fishermen's unit, cancel, mega reclamation

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