THE Natural Resources and Environment Ministry has a mechanism to deter the land reclamation project in Penang if the state government is adamant on pursuing it, said Minister Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.

He said the Department of Land and Mines director-general could take action by not granting the land title.

“The 1,800ha project is too massive and can change the shoreline in the area. It will not only affect the environment but also the forest, such as mangroves, wildlife and marine life, as their breeding habitat will be destroyed,” he said after the ministry’s monthly gathering at Paya Indah Wetland in Dengkil today.

Prime Minister Najib Razak on Saturday had announced that the federal government would not support the land reclamation project in Penang if it was detrimental to the people and affected their sources of income.

Najib said the federal government had its own stand in approving any projects and it was not solely on political grounds. – Bernama, August 28, 2017.