THE 56 conditions imposed by the Department of Environment (DoE) on the Pan Island Link 1’s (PIL1) environmental impact assessment approval should be publicised, Penang civil society leaders said.

Former Penang Island City councillor Dr Lim Mah Hui said the conditions should be released so that the people are aware of what they are.

“The state can post them online, so those with the technical knowledge can study and give critiques,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

This morning, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow announced that the PIL1’s EIA had received conditional approval from the DoE.

On the 56 conditions imposed, he said the project would require an environmental management plan (EMP), among others, to ensure steps are taken to prevent negative impact on the local community as the highway is under construction.

However, he did not list the conditions in detail, saying much of it was technical.

“The state government should tell us what they are. It is a CAT (competent, accountable and transparent) government, not a mouse,” Dr Lim joked, referring the Penang administration’s mantra.

He also questioned whether consultants would work on the detailed design of the highway while the EMP was being prepared.

“What’s the process? Since detailed designs are expensive, perhaps they should hold on and get the EMP ready and approved first to avoid wasting money.”

Penang heritage conservationist Khoo Salma Nasution said in the spirit of transparency in “New Malaysia”, the conditions should be made public.

Consumers’ Association of Penang and Sahabat Alam Malaysia president S.M. Mohamed Idris also expressed similar sentiments.

“Given the huge public outcry over the PIL1, it is imperative that the state government not hide the conditions for approval,” he said.

Handling feedback 

Lim, a member of the Penang Forum steering committee, said the DoE should also explain how it had handled the concerns and objections raised by civil society and those protesting against PIL1 during the public consultation on the EIA last year.

“We are disappointed with the department. We submitted our feedback, but there was no communication after that. It (asking for public feedback) should not just be a technical exercise. 

“Maybe the department did consider our views. It will be good if the outcome of this is publicised, too.”

Last year, Penang Forum campaigned to get other Penangites to send their feedback and objections against PIL1 to the DoE when the EIA report was open for public scrutiny.

The group, made up of a loose coalition of local Penang civil society bodies, even organised their own dialogues and forums to educate the public on the impact of the PIL1 and other components of the larger Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP).

Lim said Chow should also explain why he was so eager to get PIL1 built when in the past, the latter had objected to the Penang Outer Ring Road (PORR), a Barisan Nasional project.

The 17km PORR, mooted in the late 1990s, was to connect Tanjung Bungah in the north with Gelugor in the south, near the Penang Bridge. The project was shelved indefinitely under the 9th Malaysia Plan. It was also objected to by civil society then.

The PIL1 is 19.5km long, and links Persiaran Gurney with the Bayan Lepas part of the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway in the south. Some parts of the PIL1 will cut through hills in Bukit Bendera, Paya Terubong and Sg Ara.

Not a long-term solution

Lim said that even if the PIL1 was implemented via open tender and is toll free, unlike PORR, the issue remained that the new highway would not serve as a long-term solution.

“Five to seven years after the PIL1 is completed, we will be back at square one. We will have traffic jams again. 

“The issue is still not addressed, even if we go through open tender and not collect toll,” he said.

Salma, who is also part of Penang Forum, said it was “amazing” that the state wanted a PTMP that was more expansive than the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL).

Other than the PIL1, the PTMP also proposes a light rail transit (LRT) system, several highways and an undersea tunnel. The entire master plan is estimated to cost RM46 billion while the ECRL, a federal project linking the east coast and the west coast, will cost RM44 billion.

“They obviously want the PTMP to go ahead to spur investment and flog a ’flattish’ property market, but they ignore the science that more highways bring out more cars. 

“With Penang reaching its’car peak’, this is a good opportunity to shift to a robust public transport plan. Look at what is happening in cities around the world. 

“Only governments that are stuck in old thinking and outdated development strategies would be unable or unwilling to embrace a new mobility paradigm to support a vibrant connected city,” she said.

Slope design violations?

Salma said PIL1 would also the environment and existing neighbourhoods negatively.

She also questioned whether the Public Works Department had approved the highway’s design or alignment as it was, or whether the project’s proponents had amended it to conform to PWD’s guidelines for slope design.

“For maintenance and safety reasons, the PWD’s design rules state that the design for cut slopes should not exceed six berms. 

“The PIL1’s EIA in its second volume showed many instances that exceed that limit, even up to 29 berms,” she said.

A berm refers to level space, shelf or raised barrier, usually made of compacted soil, separating two areas. Berms are also used to control erosion and sedimentation by reducing surface run-off.

PWD guidelines stated that if a slope design requires more than six berms, other solutions like tunnel, rock shade or bridges could be considered.

The PIL1 comes with 7.6km of viaduct sections, four tunnel sections through hills measuring 10.1km, embankment sections of 1.8km and six interchanges. It is estimated to cost RM7 billion. – April 15, 2019.