GEORGE TOWN, Feb 15 — Reclamation work for Penang Silicon Island (PSI) will continue despite the suit filed by a group of fishermen and two non-governmental organisations (NGO) against the state to stop the project.
Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the state government received the legal documents on February 13.
“The suit is ongoing and there was no court decision yet so the project will still continue,” he told reporters during a press conference at his office in Komtar today.
Yesterday, Sungai Batu fisherman unit chief Zakaria Ismail, Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) and Jaringan Ekologi dan Iklim (JEDI) announced their application for a judicial review to challenge the planning permission approval for PSI, which was previously known as Penang South Reclamation (PSR).
Zakaria, together with six other fishermen, SAM and JEDI named the Penang state director of town and country planning (PLANMalaysia), Penang state planning committee, Penang state government and project delivery partner, SRS Consortium Sdn Bhd, as respondents in the suit.
The Penang High Court has fixed February 19 for case management of the judicial review application.
Reclamation work for PSI started in September last year after the environmental management plan for the project was approved by the Department of Environment in July last year.
Initially, PSR was a mega project to reclaim three islands covering 1,821 ha (4,500 acres) but it was reduced to one island, PSI, covering 930ha (2,300 acres).
Chow said he has instructed the state legal adviser to manage the judicial review application filed by the fishermen and NGOs.
‘‘The state legal adviser will conduct an engagement session with the respondents in the suit,” he said.
He said the state will take appropriate action to handle the judicial review application.
Yesterday, Zakaria said the prawn catch in the area had dropped by more than 50 per cent after the reclamation work started.
He said the livelihood of fishermen in the area was badly affected.
In their application for judicial review, the applicants are requesting that the planning permission is found void and of no effect as it violates the provisions of the Town and Country Planning Act 1976.
They are seeking an order of certiorari to quash the decision granting the planning permission to the Penang state government to commence the reclamation works.
They are also applying for an order for the Penang state government and SRS to immediately restore all damages to the area to its original state and that they pay damages to the applicants and the fishermen due to loss of income.
