GEORGE TOWN, Sept 3 ― A coalition of 40 Muslim non-governmental organisations called Gerakan Pembela Ummah Pulau Pinang is planning a mass protest to oppose the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project.
The group spokesman, Mohd Akhir Che Mat, said the protest this Sunday will demand the project be cancelled and for the RM46 billion Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) to be reviewed.
“We will be organising a peaceful demonstration against the project at Permatang Damar Laut from 1pm to 5pm this Sunday to reject the reclamation project that does not benefit the people,” he said.
He said they were hoping for about 5,000 people to join the protest.
“We hope that everyone will make time to join the protest and stand up against projects that only benefit the state government’s cronies,” he said.
He added that the group has applied for permission to hold the demonstration from the relevant authorities and obtained approval to use the field in Permatang Damar Laut from the Land and District Office.
He said the demonstration will focus on seven main points, the first of which is to call for the PSR to be immediately cancelled.
“The PTMP should also be reviewed and the state government must look back at the transport plan study completed by Halcrow Consultant to review the PTMP,” he said.
He said the state should not only focus on helping developers with land deals through the PSR as a way to resolve the state’s traffic issues.
He said Penang should be focusing on a sustainable way to resolve the traffic congestion issues in the state that benefited the people and not developers.
“The state should be adapting the concept of ‘moving people not cars’,” he said.
He claimed the PSR will only serve to destroy the environment and expose the state to more disasters due to the destruction of its natural environment.
He said the proposed reclamation to create three islands off the southern coast of Penang island will change the demographics of the residents in the area and negatively impact the existing residents there.
“It will lead to an imbalance in development and affect those living there along with destroying the livelihood of fishermen,” he said.
PSR is a project to create three man-made islands off the southern coast of the island to raise funds for the PTMP.
It was also meant to create additional land banks for the state to expand its industrial zone.
