THERE may not be an urgent need for the proposed Pan Island Link 1 (PIL1) today, but it will be essential for Penang in 30 years, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said.

“Today, it may not be needed. In 30 years, it will be. This project is for 20 to 50 years into the future.

“If we don’t build it, we may still be okay in five years. In 10 years, we will have to study the impact of not having it.

“In 20 years, we will have to study if Penang can still survive without it,” he said at the state legislative assembly building today.

The PIL1 project is a RM7.5 billion highway that connects Persiaran Gurney in the north and the second Penang Bridge in the south.

The 19.5km infrastructure is made up of 70% hill tunnels through Penang Hill and the hills of Paya Terubong and Sungai Ara and a 250m cable-stayed bridge across the popular Youth Park, a green lung and recreational area on the island.

PIL1’s environmental impact assessment report is up on public display.

Civil society groups and residents of areas affected by the proposed highway’s alignment have raised environmental concerns and criticism on the project. 

The latest complaint was raised by Kek Lok Si Temple trustees, who reportedly said they were never consulted. The project will be some 500m from the temple on the hill.

Chow said the state government was grateful for the people’s feedback as it helped raise awareness on the project, which is part of the Penang Transport Master Plan.

He said efforts were ongoing to collect feedback and address the people’s concerns, adding that all state assemblymen in areas affected by the project were being briefed so they could share information with their constituents.

He also said PIL1’s alignment also took into consideration the ongoing attempt to list Penang Hill as a Unesco Biosphere Reserve. 

“Because of this, we either had to move the alignment away from the hill and into the Air Itam town, or move it farther in. This is why we are proposing tunnels through the hill.”

Chow said all projects impacted the environment and affected locals, which was why EIAs and other studies are conducted.

“Even us standing here now, we are impacting the environment,” he said.

“The question is how we mitigate to reduce the impact. All projects have mitigation plans or mitigation packages. Some had relocation packages for when people had to be moved.”

For the PIL1 project, he said some 200 homes along Sungai Keluang and one on Jalan Gottlieb would be affected.

“Next week, or the week after, we will go section by section along the PIL1 alignment to see what land acquisition we may need to do… that is going to give us a clearer picture.” – August 3, 2018.