THE Penang government will be announcing its plans for the Penang South Islands (PSI) project soon as it goes through a tedious and marathon process of seeking Environmental Management Plan (EMP) approval for it.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said he would make the announcement next week while the state awaits the EMP approval from the Department of Environment (DoE).
“We have gone through the process of getting the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approval for Penang South Reclamation (as the project was initially called) for seven to eight long months.
“We have had stakeholders’ engagements, public displays and many others for all parties to take part.
“As we focus now on PSI, I will announce what we had discussed which would be implemented on Island A,” Chow said in response to reporters’ questions after opening the 2023 Penang Wesak Day Celebration opening ceremony at the Malaysian Buddhist Association on Jalan Burma today.
The PSI project has recently received the EIA approval from DoE with 71 conditions.
Chow said this showed the application had gone through close scrutiny by DoE and other technical agencies before the DoE gave the approval with conditions to be complied with.
The approved EIA was for the entire PSI project involving the reclamation of three islands – Islands A, B and C.
The tri-islands (Islands A, B and C) will be located at the south end of Penang island, measuring a total of 4,500 acres in land size. Island A will be 2,300 acres in size, Island B 1,400 acres and Island C 800 acres.
Chow had said that the Penang government, through its project delivery partner (PDP) for the PSI project, is now in the process of applying for the EMP approval from the DoE.
He explained that the EMP report contains the plans to comply with the conditions of the EIA approval.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by Law Suun Ting
Video by Alissala Thian