Penang BN opposes state govt's reclamation plans, citing environmental concerns

GEORGE TOWN: Barisan Nasional (BN) has asked the DAP-led state government to consider dropping the Southern Reclamation Scheme (SRS) initiative.
Sungai Dua assemblyman Muhamad Yusoff Mohd Noor, who is believed to likely be the state Opposition Leader when the state legislative assembly convenes its first sitting next month, said BN has always opposed reclamation, as based on past experiences it could go on to cause untold damage to the local ecology.
"And we are unsure of the long-term prognosis of such massive reclamation to the island," said Yusoff on the sidelines of a briefing on the Penang Transport Masterplan, here today.
He said that surely now, the federal and state authorities can find an alternative to funding the project besides relying on reclamation to fund it.
Yusoff added that the proposed light rail transit and Pan Island Link highways should be privatised similar to how the North-South Expressway was built where the concessionaire gets to collect toll on a long-term basis to underwrite the costs and to maintain the infrastructure.
Similarly, the proposed RM6.3 billion cross channel undersea tunnel can be conceived without the developer being paid through land swaps.
In addition to that, Yusoff said the reclamation is causing discomfort to fishermen and their families. He believes that the state must look towards development policies which do not end up affecting the environment and the local inhabitants.
Bukit Tengah assemblyman Gooi Hsiao Leung said the earlier Halcrow study had proposed seven tram linkages but in the masterplan only mooted one.
SRS Consortium project director Eric Szeto Wai Hoong explained that the Halcrow study had proposed public transport alternatives but did not expand on the funding capacity and did no address long-term challenges.
The transport masterplan covers the funding and a long-term projection of ridership and traffic flow of up to 50 years, Szeto said.
Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the state was open to suggestions on how to implement the transport masterplan, but stressed that whatever the outcome, the state needed to act fast in view of the worsening traffic congestion.