GEORGE TOWN, June 27 — The Ministry of Environment and Water will give the Penang state government a chance to implement the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project despite objections from several quarters, including the latest from PAS.

Deputy Environment and Water Minister Datuk Dr Ahmad Masrizal Muhammad said, however, the Penang state government must comply with all the conditions and stipulations set out in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to proceed.

“Let us give a chance to the state (government) to fulfill all the requirements first and see how it goes. As long as it is able to meet the requirements, there is nothing for the state (government) to be afraid of. That should be the way.

“We have to be fair to all parties, to whichever state government, as this is a democratic state. For PAS, there is nothing wrong with the party submitting a memorandum of protest following their concern for the people and the environment, this will also create a form of check and balance,” he told reporters after attending an environmental conservation and green campus programme at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), here today.

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Penang PAS recently handed over a memorandum to Environment and Water Minister Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man to cancel the project over concerns of permanent environmental damage as well as affecting the livelihood of fishermen in Penang and Perak.

Ahmad Masrizal said the Ministry of Environment and Water was also open to holding discussions between PAS and the Penang state government to clarify the issues and procedures surrounding the project.

“As I said, the ministry is trying to give the Penang State Government space and opportunity to meet all of the conditions set out previously, and then we shall see if they have complied with it before taking further action,” he said.

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He added that the controversy over the reclamation project for the construction of three artificial islands in southern Penang was not new.

“The only aspect in which the ministry was involved directly in the project was in the context of approving the EIA report. However, there may be some confusion. When we talk about the approval, it should be seen in the context of also fulfilling all 72 requirements,” he said.

The 17-square kilometre PSR project involves the development of three artificial islands of about 1,700-acres at waters off Permatang Damar Laut, near Bayan Lepas.

It is being developed to finance various infrastructure projects under the Penang Transport Master Plan worth RM46 billion. — Bernama