Penang government confirms land clearing is for a public seaside park, not luxury development, addressing concerns over Tanjung Bungah works.
GEORGE TOWN: The Penang government has responded to allay public concern over land clearing near the “Sore Thumb” area, clarifying that the works are part of a directive requiring the developer to build a public seaside park before beginning its wellness suite project.
State executive councillor for Infrastructure, Transport and Digital, Zairil Khir Johari, who is also Tanjung Bungah assemblyman, said Lone Pine Residence Sdn Bhd has been instructed to construct the Seaside Pocket Park first on state-owned land adjacent to Lot 4658.
“The Penang state government plans to turn this green area in Tanjung Bungah into a public park that will benefit not only local residents but also tourists visiting the surrounding area,” he said in a statement on Saturday.
“The park is expected to become a recreational hub for family leisure and a long-term public amenity in anticipation of Malaysia’s transition into an ageing society.”
Zairil said the project planning permission for a five-storey wellness suite development on Lot 4658 was approved with a condition that the public park be built first.
He added that the application for the construction of the park, designated as Parcel A, was approved on Dec 5, 2024, while the permit for rock removal, relocation and transportation of materials at the site was issued on May 7 this year.
Zairil said the proposed park would feature a jogging track, playground, rest areas, exercise facilities and a seaside promenade.
It will be landscaped with trees and greenery and maintained by the developer for public use.
He described the project as a public facility that would bring long-term benefits to the community.
He added that claims suggesting the coastal green zone would be replaced by luxury developments were “false and malicious”.
“The state government reiterates that the earthworks now taking place are for the construction of a public park, a facility that can be enjoyed by all segments of society, particularly the residents of Tanjung Bungah,” he said.
The Sore Thumb site, a coastal outcrop adjacent to the One Tanjong condominium, has a long and complex history.
In 2014, the Penang Development Corporation announced plans to invite proposals for the area under a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a marina park concept to rehabilitate and formalise the irregularly reclaimed land.
The RFP was launched in 2015, but the project did not proceed.
In April the same year, then state exco member Phee Boon Poh officiated the site as a public coastal park intended for community recreation, although it was never gazetted.
Subsequently, about 1.5 acres of the land, designated Lot 4658, was leased by the state government to the Lone Pine Group for a mixed-use wellness development that included the current proposal for the Seaside Pocket Park.
