GEORGE TOWN, June 21 — The alignment for the proposed Bayan Lepas Light Rail Transit (BL LRT) is not final as it is still pending approval by the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD), Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said today.
He called a press conference to clarify this just hours before a few non-governmental organisations (NGO) are to hold a demonstration against the proposed BL LRT alignment which they claimed crossed over a mosque and Muslim burial grounds.
“The reason for this press conference is to present the right information that this is not finalised, our application is still being considered by APAD,” he said at his office in Komtar.
He said the LRT alignment will only be confirmed when APAD issues a conditional approval for the project.
“Till then, the alignment can be adjusted, fine-tuned and this is what we’ve been doing for a long time,” he said.
He added that the alignment in front of the mosque in Sungai Nibong was proposed by APAD after the agency scrutinised the state’s proposed alignment.
“We took action to comply with APAD’s suggestions but this is still dependent to the final decision by APAD,” he said.
He said even with APAD’s conditional approval, the state will still need to conduct a public display of the BL LRT alignment for three months before the railway scheme is finalised.
He stressed that there is still plenty of time for public feedback.
“Stakeholders who may be impacted by the alignment can still give their feedback during the three-month public display,” he said.
He said APAD will make the final decision after considering public feedback and if necessary, make any adjustments.
Earlier, he explained that site visits to the Masjid Jamek Sungai Nibong Besar was just part of a preliminary studies for the LRT alignment.
“The state government will always respect all guidelines under Islamic law and we will also refer to the Penang Fatwa Committee before any official decision on the LRT alignment at the mosque area,” he said.
Meanwhile, Penang Mufti Datuk Wan Salim Wan Mohd Noor said the Penang Fatwa Committee held a meeting on this issue last Wednesday.
“We discussed this issue with the state government, mosque qariah committee and fatwa committee, which we examined from the Islamic law angle,” he said.
He said it is important to consider the safety of the congregation in the mosque so if the LRT alignment could cause safety issues for worshippers, then it should not be allowed to pass through the mosque area.
“This is because Islamic law stipulated the importance of preserving the safety of the congregation,” he said.
He said the second Islamic aspect discussed was in terms of respect for the mosque and Muslim cemetery.
“If the project destroys the sanctity of the mosque and the burial ground, then we will not allow it,” he said.
