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GEORGE TOWN – The Penang South Islands (PSI) reclamation project has had the support of a majority of the people in Penang since it first started in 2013.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the project previously known as Penang South Reclamation (PSR), had gone through a long process for over eight or nine years before it finally obtained the environmental impact assessment (EIA) approval.
“Even during the election, we laid it on the table, in the manifesto as well as for the people to decide and they have decided. The majority have decided to support the PSI,” he told reporters here today.
Yesterday, Chow announced that the EIA report for the PSI project obtained approval from the Environment Department (DoE) under the Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Ministry.
Meanwhile, when asked about the opposition to the PSI project from the environmental and fishermen groups, Chow said the state had always been open on this project and it has got nothing to hide.
He explained that the state cannot stop any party, whether political party or non-governmental organisation (NGO), from politicising the matter.
It was reported yesterday that Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) has appealed to the authorities to reveal the 71 conditions imposed by the DoE for the EIA approval of the PSR project.
Chow said the 71 conditions were pertaining to Sections A to Q and further information about the project can be referred to the Penang Infrastructure Corporation (PIC) website.
“Actually, the conditions imposed by the DoE are contained in the approval annexe given,” he said.
The PSI is a project to develop three artificial islands, with an area of approximately 1,700ha in the waters of Permatang Damar Laut, near Bayan Lepas.
However, the project received objections from the fishing community and environmental non-governmental organisations in the state because it allegedly affects the marine ecosystem. – Bernama, April 27, 2023
