PENANG Forum, a loose coalition of state civil groups, is racing against time to persuade the public to object to the proposed Pan Island Link 1 (PIL1) highway project.

The deadline for the public to submit feedback on the PIL1 environmental impact assessment (EIA) report is September 24. The report was made public in July.

If there are no objections or concerns raised, the Department of Environment (DoE) will approve the report, allowing for the project to proceed.

Penang Forum’s Lim Gaik Siang said the group had, since July, held 13 sessions to explain to the people the impact of PIL1, and collected thousands of letters to send to DoE.

“We have collected and sent some 2,000 letters from schools affected by the PIL1 alignment in the Bagan Jermal area. We collected another 1,000 from those who attended our forums. Some residents’ associations also collected and sent letters.

“We made copies of the letters for the chief minister (Chow Kon Yeow) and minister in charge of the environment (Yeo Bee Yin). We sent the letters to the CM just last week,” she told reporters after the group’s latest PIL1 session with tourism players at a local college.

Lim, who is also Penang Heritage Trust president, said they did not know if the letters would help put a stop to PIL1, a 19.5km highway with 70% of the stretch comprising tunnels through the hills of Bukit Bendera, Paya Terubong and Sg Ara.

“We have to try. It is better than not trying at all. We need people to know how this project affects them.”

Khoo Salma Nasution, who is also part of Penang Forum, said in all the PIL1 sessions, most attendees did not know anything about the project, while some of those who knew about it “felt helpless”.

“Some people who live near the alignment expressed shocked (upon learning details of the project). They went home and told their friends about it. Their friends then attend the next session.

“We are still trying to invite more people to attend the sessions. We have to continue for as long as we can.”

She said there was a lot of information not included in the EIA report.

“There will have to be feeder roads and interchanges for the highway, and these roads will have to be elevated or expanded. Trees are going to be chopped down… but such details are not in the report.”

She admitted that it was a challenge to highlight the total impact of PIL1 due to the project’s massive size – it cuts across the island from Persiaran Gurney in the north to Sg Ara in the south.

“This project is everywhere. You don’t know where to focus.”

Salma said Penang Forum members who had spoken out against the project had been labelled elitists or retirees by those who disagreed with them.

“But more people are becoming aware of the impact of PIL1.”

Last month, the state government said it would organise a town-hall session on PIL1, which is part of the larger Penang Transport Master Plan, but it has yet to set a date.

Apart from Salma and Lim, who explained the project’s impact to an audience of some 50 people this morning, another speaker, Roger Teoh, a PhD student at Imperial College London’s Centre for Transport Studies, questioned why the state government was focusing on building roads instead of public transport.

Guest speaker Katharine Egland, who is environmental and climate justice chairman of the US’ National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People, said Penang should not build more roads, which destroyed the island’s natural beauty.

“Why would Penang want to be a cheap imitation of less-desirable cities? It does not make sense.

“From an environmental perspective, this is a deliberately planned environmental catastrophe. It will be something you cannot take back. There’s no turning back from this environmental monstrosity.”

She said PIL1 would be a “lethal cocktail”, worsening the state’s environmental woes, such as floods.

She said other cities were focusing on adapting to and mitigating the effects of climate change, and Penang should do the same for its fragile ecology instead of “compounding it with more road constructions”.

She said the project would have long-term effects on people’s mental and physical health, and might lead to a higher mortality rate.

“It will affect air and water quality, cause losses to the fishing industry, disrupt schools and family recreational parks, and compromise the sanctity of places of worship.

“It may be dramatic to say these are crimes or sins against humanity, but they certainly show utter disregard for humanity. It is an injustice.”

Egland urged civil groups not to be intimidated by politicians, and to keep fighting for justice and truth.

She said they should hold the government accountable, despite being labelled troublemakers, anti-government or anti-development.

“This government has a unique opportunity to show the world what true change looks like, to set themselves apart from other politicians around the world, and be responsive to the people who trust and elected them.”

Egland’s visit to Penang comes after she attended the United Nations Intersessional Meeting in Bangkok as the liaison for the US Climate Change Action Network. – September 12, 2018.