GEORGE TOWN, July 10— Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow assured Perak fishermen today that any sand mining activities off their coast for a reclamation project in his state will receive their own Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report.

He said Penang only obtained the EIA for its proposed Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project last week, meaning the matter was still in the early stages and nowhere near the decision on where the state will source sand for the project.

“Sand mining will need a separate EIA approval, it is not included in the EIA report for the PSR,” he added.

He was responding to Perak fishermen’s objections to the PSR based on their belief it would involve sand mining off the Perak coast.

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About 200 Perak and Penang fishermen along with Penang non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are planning a march to Parliament in protest against the PSR.

They will deliver a memorandum and petition to the Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad asking him to stop the project.

Chow said the state will enter into a fresh round of engagement sessions with Penang fishermen affected by the PSR.

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“We last engaged with the Penang Fishermen Association in May when they presented their proposal for a compensation package but at that time, we have not obtained the EIA approval for PSR yet,” he said.

With the EIA approval, he said they could now negotiate compensation packages with the fishermen association.

“What they wanted was more than what we have in our state compensation packages as they wanted equipment and not in cash,” he said in a press conference after launching an international model United Nations Camp 2019 at SMJK Chung Ling here.

He said a special task force headed by state exco Dr Afif Bahardin will approach the fishermen association representatives to start discussions on compensation.

Chow also said it was a positive sign that the fishermen have asked for some form of compensation.

“The association have said they cannot support the reclamation project but by submitting a compensation proposal, they are acknowledging that once the project is approved, they will need to seek compensation,” he said.

He added that the issue of compensation is complex and will need repeated talks before a consensus is possible.

The chief minister also stressed that only fishermen registered under the Fisheries Development Authority will be entitled to compensation.

On the EIA’s approval, Chow said he will reveal the 72 conditions attached in due time.

“It is somewhat like the conditions in other projects except for some additional ones so we need to look at it and how we can comply with it,” he said.

Chow added that conditions may have cost implications but affirmed that Penang aimed to abide by all 72 included.

The PSR is a RM11 billion land reclamation project off the southern coast of Penang island to create three man-made islands.

The man-made islands were to increase the state’s land banks and also to be sold off to raise funds for the RM46 billion Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP).