GEORGE TOWN: The Protect Karpal Singh Drive Action Committee (ProtectKarpal) is protesting against a land reclamation project next to the Jelutong landfill site, which will affect residential areas in the vicinity.
The civil society group headed by A.D. Chandrasekaran said it has received many objections from residents.
“We respectfully but firmly urge Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow to reject the scientifically unsound and environmentally damaging proposal for a 70-acre reclamation as part of the Jelutong landfill rehabilitation project.
“While we recognise the urgent need to address the legacy of the decades-old landfill, the developer’s plan to reclaim a significant portion of our coastline to house massive recycling machinery is a drastic and unnecessary measure,” Chandrasekaran said in a statement.
ProtectKarpal represents residents from The Spring, Nautilus Bay, 3 Residence, Ocean View, Desa Pinang, Pinang Court 1 and 2 and Summer Place in the affected area, particularly Karpal Singh Drive.
The deadline for public feedback on the Environmental Impact Assessment for the project has been extended to April 5.
Chandrasekaran claimed that globally recognised best practices in landfill management, including landfill mining, modular recycling technologies and in-situ reclamation, offer demonstrably effective alternatives that can minimise or eliminate the need for such an extensive reclamation.
On March 24, Chow was reported as saying that the reclamation is an essential step in the process of dismantling the old Jelutong landfill.
PLB Engineering Bhd signed a deal with the Penang Development Corporation in 2020 to develop and rehabilitate the landfill at a cost of RM1 billion.
However, the reclamation project could prevent the Middle Bank, an ecologically sensitive area and home to the only seagrass meadow in the Straits of Malacca, from being gazetted as a marine sanctuary.
Chandrasekaran said their concerns were rooted in irrefutable scientific evidence and the proven success of alternative landfill rehabilitation strategies.
“The proposed large-scale coastal reclamation encroaches into and threatens irreparable damage to our precious marine ecosystems, the Middle Bank.
“Scientific consensus highlights that such projects disrupt vital marine habitats, alter natural sediment flows and trigger significant ecological imbalances, leading to long-term biodiversity loss.”
Chandrasekaran said locating intensive waste recycling operations on newly reclaimed land would lead to unacceptable levels of toxic gases, dust, noise pollution and heavy industrial traffic, severely impacting the residents’ quality of life.
He also urged the Penang state government to initiate an immediate and comprehensive review of the current proposal.
“This review must involve independent geotechnical experts, civil engineers specialising in landfill rehabilitation, environmental scientists and stakeholders from affected communities.
“The state government should implement a collaborative and transparent process. It should be able to gazette the Middle Bank Marine Sanctuary, safeguard the well-being of the residents and demonstrate true sustainable leadership that balances economic progress with environmental stewardship and social responsibility.”
Previously, Universiti Malaya marine ecologist Dr Jillian Ooi was quoted as saying that the Middle Bank is a prime target for developers due to its stable ground.
“The expansive seagrass meadow of the Middle Bank acts as an ‘ecological engineer’, stabilising the seabed by holding down the sand, making it ideal for land reclamation,” she said.
On March 28, Chow assured residents that the reclamation project would not encroach on Middle Bank.
“Even if there is no physical encroachment, the chief minister overlooks the indirect yet devastating impacts of reclamation on the ecosystem,” Chandrasekaran said.
For those who wish to submit feedback on the EIA report, visit: shorturl.at/0YYBM. For more info about the Protect Karpal Singh Drive visit: protect-middle-bank.pages.dev.
