GERAKAN Pembela Ummah Penang will bring the issue of the Penang sea reclamation project to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad if it fails to get the state to meet.

Chairman Mohd Akhir Che Mat said he would first arrange a meeting with the Penang government to discuss issues related to the project that allegedly would affect more than 5,000 fishermen in the state.

“We are not rejecting the development or the PTMP (Penang Transport Master Plan). We are only asking that the PTMP be reviewed.

“Hopefully, we can have discussions with the state executive councillor involved, Afif Bahardin, chief minister Chow Kon Yeow and deputy Ahmad Zakiyuddin Abdul Rahman.

“If we do not receive a favourable response, we will take it to Parliament to meet the ministers, the PM, DPM and all those concerned.

“If possible we will bring the petition we signed today to the prime minister to address the issue better.”

Nearly 5,000 participants attended the rally that consisted of civilians, fishermen, 40 civil society groups and political party leaders.

Akhir said the party would be ready to hold a bigger rally to reject the project in the future, including organising it in Parliament if the project continues.

“The struggle since 2014 has been led by groups such as the Sahabat Alam Malaysia, Penang Forum and the Penang Malay Association. We will also rope in the fishermen’s association.”

He said the ‘Selamatkan Pulau Pinang: Penang Tolak Tambak’ (Save Penang: Penang Rejects Reclamation) petition is expected to be submitted to the prime minister within the next two months.

Penang intends to redevelop 1,821,085 hectares of sea area to build three artificial islands stretching from the south of Penang International Airport to the east around Permatang Damar Laut.

The PTMP is a state government project costing an estimated RM46 billion, including an undersea tunnel connecting the island to the mainland, highways, LRTs, monorail and a comprehensive bus network across the island and mainland. – Bernama, September 9, 2019.