GEORGE TOWN, Aug 3 — The Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project should be implemented only as a last resort to fund the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP), state PKR deputy chairman Sim Tze Tzin said.

He said the Penang government must consider other alternatives, including trying to secure federal or external funding for the project.

“We (State PKR) feel that reclamation should be the last resort because we know about the serious environmental effects on sea life and the fishing community’s livelihood, to the extent the state would have to import possible lesser quality produce from other countries.

“We also want to state clearly that we are not against PTMP, but we have our reservations on PSR. That is why we are trying to find a solution, a way out to solve PSR,” he told reporters after meeting fishermen at the Sungai Batu jetty here today.

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Sim, who is also Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Deputy Minister said Penang PKR has set up a committee, chaired by acting state party chairman Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik to assist the state government resolve the PSR issue following protests by the local fishing community over possible environmental damage and loss of income should the project take off.

“My duty is to be the voice of the people, and as deputy agriculture minister and member of parliament I have a responsibility of bringing forth their (fishermen) voices. At this point the fishermen are rejecting (the project). It is nothing personal, it’s about policy, the livelihood of the fishermen,” he said.

Meanwhile, Gertak Sanggul Fishermen Unit Chief Datuk Chooi Sooi Kong said the state government’s assurance that that it may scale down the project to just one island if it secures federal funding will not resolve the fishing community’s main problem, which is the loss of sea life in the reclaimed area.

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Penang Fishermen Association chairman Nazri Ahmad, meanwhile, said the association’s stand on the whole issue remains consistent, and they were not budging.

“We are not against PTMP because we know it’s a necessity. We are only protesting the PSR. We really hope the state government can find a better way to fund the project. Penang still have lots of undeveloped land on the mainland, so why can’t they be developed for funds,” he said.

Under the PSR project, the state government is proposing to reclaim 1,821.085ha of the sea through three man-made islands south of Penang International Airport towards the east around Permatang Damar Laut to create a land bank to fund the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP).

The PTMP project is an initiative of the state government which is estimated to cost RM46 billion, encompassing an undersea tunnel connecting the island to the mainland, highway, LRT, monorail and a bus network on the island and Seberang Perai. — Bernama