THE first phase of the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) will proceed as planned, state local government exco Jagdeep Singh Deo told the state legislative assembly today.

The projects in the first phase include the Pan Island Link 1 (PIL1), the light rail transit (LRT) system linking George Town and Bayan Lepas, and main roads.

Jagdeep said the social impact assessment (SIA) had already been conducted by the relevant technical departments for federal approval.

He also gave his assurance that all mitigation measures recommended will be followed during the construction of the projects.

He was answering an oral question from Jason Ong Khan Lee (PH-Kebun Bunga), who had asked if the state will conduct SIAs on the major infrastructure projects in the PTMP.

The SIA is now a requirement that must be followed under the Town and Country Planning Act following an amendment.

Opposition leader Muhamad Yusoff Mohd Noor (BN-Sungai Dua) in a supplementary question asked if the projects will still proceed if they socially impacted the surrounding areas like schools and cemeteries.

Civil society groups said that nine schools will be affected by the 19.5km highway. The highway alignment – from Persiaran Gurney in the north to Relau in the south – will also pass through some cemeteries.

Jagdeep said that the projects will proceed only with the necessary approvals from the federal authorities, including the SIA.

“The SIA will look into the social impact and existing issues while recommending steps for mitigation.

“We will take steps to mitigate the impact caused by the projects, but we will proceed with them,” he said.

The major road projects have become a major issue in Penang with protests coming from groups like Penang Forum and the Consumers Association of Penang.

The main concerns about the projects are their environmental and social impact on Penang and its citizens.

Civil society representatives have also been arguing that building more roads will not solve the state’s worsening traffic problem.  – November 9, 2018.