THE federal government has raised concerns that Penang’s proposal to reclaim the sea off the island’s southern coast will lead to encroachment on international waters.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar today said the project to create three islands, if given the nod, would change Malaysia’s territorial sea limits.

“Reclaiming three nautical miles means ‘pushing’ the continental shelf further into the sea, and that means encroaching on international waters.

“That means international parties would be involved. What would Indonesia say to this?

“The project has many implications, and not just to do with marine resources and the livelihoods of fishermen,” he told a press conference in Sungai Batu, Teluk Kumbar, next to the sea, the site of the proposed reclamation.

Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the continental shelf is defined as the stretch of seabed adjacent to the shores of a country to which it belongs.

The Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project is an ambitious undertaking by the Pakatan Harapan state government to reclaim three islands, measuring 930ha, 445ha and 323ha, off Teluk Kumbar and Gertak Sanggul.

The islands are to be auctioned off by the state to pay for its RM27 billion Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP), aimed at solving the state’s worsening traffic woes. The plan includes light rail transit (LRT), monorail and tram lines, bus services, roads and highways.

Studies ordered

Wan Junaidi said he had consulted the relevant federal departments, and asked that they send in reports on the impact of the proposed reclamation.

“I want fisheries, social and political impact assessment reports. I also want reports from the state Economic Planning Unit, the Survey and Mapping Department, and others.”

He said he had yet to receive such reports, or the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report that must be submitted to the Department of Environment (DoE) by the project delivery partner.

“But even before I get any technical reports or the terms of reference regarding this project, I must say that I already disagree with it because of its huge implications.

“My first reaction to this proposal is, we cannot disturb nature because it will retaliate.”

He said he would ask the National Physical Planning Council, which decides on major infrastructure projects in the country, to deliberate on Penang’s reclamation and urban rail proposals further.

Posing harm to marine life

Wan Junaidi warned that the proposed reclamation would kill off plankton, an important food source for marine life, leading to a loss of seafood resources, which fishermen depended on for their livelihoods.

He said international studies warned that the world would face the extinction of marine resources by 2048.

If the PSR project went ahead, he said, the extinction process would be sped up in Penang.

“We will lose our seafood even sooner in Penang. This is a fact. This is a problem faced by the world.”

He said federal authorities could declare marine parks in a bid to protect marine resources, but this would not be viable if the state persisted in its efforts reclaim the sea.

Don’t go after dollars and cents

Due to the many concerns about the proposed reclamation, Wan Junaidi said, Penang should not think only about development, especially when projects were likely to be detrimental to the environment and people’s livelihoods.

“Don’t be so keen on going after dollars and cents.”

He said the state government had constitutional powers over matters like natural resources, both on land and at sea, while his ministry dealt only with guidelines and administration.

“But, the EIA is still under our jurisdiction. If we don’t approve it, we hope the state will not go ahead with the reclamation.

“Let’s not let it happen, like what had happened with the hill slope incident. The ministry said ‘no’, but state authorities went ahead, and 11 people died,” he said, referring to an incident in October, when a hill slope at a construction site in Tanjung Bungah collapsed and buried alive 11 workers, including a Malaysian site supervisor.

The ministry had said then that the DoE had earlier rejected the developer’s application for its apartment project, located near a permanent granite quarry.

Wan Junaidi earlier attended a “jamuan rakyat” programme with locals, comprising mainly fishermen. The event was jointly organised by the Balik Pulau MP’s office and the Southern Penang Fishermen’s Association.

He also accepted the Penang Fishermen’s Association’s objection notice against the proposed reclamation.

Politics at play

The federal government has opposed Penang’s reclamation plan from the start, gaining the support of the local fishing community, which has consistently rejected the proposal for fear of losing their source of income.

A few months ago, Prime Minister Najib Razak told fishermen that Putrajaya would not support projects that were detrimental to the environment, during his visit to Balik Pulau for the Umno division annual meeting.

Today, Balik Pulau MP Dr Hilmi Yahaya said the proposed reclamation must be stopped to protect marine life and fishermen’s interests.

“We hope this project will not take off,” he said, while also questioning the PTMP.

“How many people will take the LRT? Will people living in Batu Feringghi drive to the station and transit there, to get to work in the industrial zone?

“Every home has cars and motorcycles. In the end, those taking the LRT will be Bangladesh, Nepal and Myanmar nationals.”

He told a crowd of a few hundred people that the Penang government would still “win”, no matter what happened to the reclamation plan.

“If they don’t get to do it, they will say the federal government objected to the plan.”

The Balik Pulau parliamentary seat was wrested from PKR by Barisan Nasional in the 2013 general election with a slim majority of 1,549 votes.

BN also secured three state seats – Teluk Kumbar, Bayan Lepas and Teluk Bahang – with majorities of between 400 and 800 votes.

Dr Hilmi, who is also deputy health minister, acknowledged the slim victory in his constituency.

“There are 1,500 fishermen in Balik Pulau. If they are angry at us, we will lose.

“We are worried about them. We know the fishing community well. We have to help them and see that their livelihoods are not disrupted.”

Earlier, Penang Fishermen’s Association chairman Nazri Ahmad said the community would continue its fight against the proposed reclamation.

“It will ruin our livelihoods. We are fishing folk. We cannot do other jobs.” – December 27, 2017.