A FORUM on the Pan Island Link 1 project, held earlier today, was nearly cancelled because of “external pressure”, said its organiser.

Dr Azeem Fazwan Ahmad Farouk, director of Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Centre for Policy Research and International Studies (CenPRIS), said the university had no problems with the event but certain outsiders did.  

“It was almost cancelled, due to external problems unrelated to USM. The university has no problems with the forum,” he told reporters after the forum today.

Azeem said CenPRIS was engaged in public advocacy work dealing with public policies and holding the forum on the PIL1 was in line with its efforts to get Malaysians interested in public policies.

It was learned that someone had told USM it was “inappropriate” for the university to hold the forum by Penang Forum, which was critical of PIL1, because the institute of higher learning should be “in line” with the state government.

But the forum, planned more than two weeks ago and featuring speakers Khoo Salma Nasution, Dr Lim Mah Hui and Dr Kam Suan Pheng, was given the green light by the vice-chancellor last Friday.

Penang Forum’s Salma said she heard the word “inappropriate” twice.

Penang Forum is planning another meeting on Friday morning at a college in George Town, but the school has since cancelled the event.

The college’s board of directors also found the forum “inappropriate” and not “in line with state government policy”, Salma said.

Penang Forum has been organising forums all over the island with target groups and residents in affected areas, and collecting thousands of signatures to support its cause.

The estimated RM1 billion PIL1, which is part of the larger Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP), is a 19.5km highway with 70% of it tunnels through the hills of Bukit Bendera (Penang Hill), Paya Terubong and Sg Ara.

The group has questioned the safety of drilling tunnels through the granite hills and the environmental, health, traffic and social impact the project would have on the lives of communities living near the alignment.

Lim also urged the public to sign a petition to Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow to stop the PIL1 project on the website Change.org. – September 18, 2018.