GEORGE TOWN, Jan 29 — The severe erosion affecting Penang island’s northern beaches is a complex and largely seasonal phenomenon, not a direct result of land reclamation or coastal development, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said today.

Responding to claims by non-governmental organisations (NGOs), Chow stressed that the erosion affecting areas like Batu Ferringhi and Tanjung Bungah should not be oversimplified.

“The areas experiencing erosion are at least 10 kilometres away from where the reclamation works are taking place,” he said, referring to Tanjung Piai.

The reclamation works were also carried out years ago, he said at a press conference, highlighting that natural processes often restore the beaches over time.

“For example, in the Rasa Sayang Hotel area, it happens according to seasonal patterns. At times, after erosion occurs, natural processes take place and the beach is naturally restored,” he said.

State executive councillor Zairil Khir Johari, who has also addressed the issue, added that a Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) report attributes this year's unusually severe erosion to higher tides, two feet higher than last year, coupled with increased wave pressure.

“If [the reclamation] was going to cause erosion, it would have done so 10 years ago,” Zairil said, reminding NGOs not to make "outrageous and unsubstantiated" claims.

Chow used the popular Ferringhi Bay as an example of natural beach recovery, noting that its wide, long beach was formed naturally over time, not through reclamation.

He said the government has completed a technical report and understands the importance of implementing immediate mitigation works, such as seawalls, to prevent the erosion from worsening.

He also referenced a beach nourishment project in Batu Ferringhi about seven years ago, which included extending river outfalls 300 metres into the sea.

This was done to allow sand to accumulate naturally while preventing the river mouths from being blocked, which could cause floods in nearby villages.