PENANG will form a special emergency action committee to handle all components under the ambitious RM46 billion Penang Transport Master Plan, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said.

He told the state legislative assembly this morning that the committee will be made up of enforcement and safety agencies like the Environmental Department, Department of Occupational Safety and Health, police, Fire and Rescue Department, local council and other relevant technical parties.

The committee will monitor and ensure the emergency response plan is followed when the components are implemented, he said.

“A detailed emergency response plan will be formulated at the construction and operation stage, as required. It will be complied with to safeguard public interest in terms of safety, health, and the environment from accidents or disasters.

“This response plan, which will be in line with the Occupational Safety and Health Act, will cover areas like equipment failure, human error and natural disasters.”

Chow was answering an oral question from Jason Ong Khan Lee (Kebun Bunga-PH) during question time.

Ong earlier asked the state will handle risks, emergencies and crises if accidents happened during the implementation of large projects like the PTMP.

The PTMP is a crucial project for Penang to tackle its worsening transport woes. It includes an undersea tunnel, several new highways and by-passes, and a light rail transit system.

Four major roads in the master plan have passed the environmental impact assessment approval stage, obtaining the DoE’s conditional approvals, such as the 19.5km Pan Island Link 1, which will feature tunnels through hills in Bukit Bendera, Sungai Ara and Paya Terubong.

The road components of the PTMP have attracted criticism and objections from Penang civil society, which raised environmental and social impact concerns. – April 29, 2019.