THE mega projects in Penang are not in the same boat as mega projects undertaken by the former Barisan Nasional federal government, which are now being reviewed by the Pakatan Harapan administration, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said.

He said this today following calls by civil society groups for the administration to review mega projects, particularly the multibillion ringgit Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP), which requires the sale of reclaimed land to finance it.

The Consumers Association of Penang and Penang Forum had recently urged the Penang government to rethink the PTMP after Pakatan seized Putrajaya in GE14.

Chow said the Penang government welcomed open discourse on the state’s mega infrastructure projects, but wanted to “correct misleading statements”.

He said public coffers would not be unduly burdened by the project, and Penang folk would benefit from crucial transport infrastructure in the next few years.

“When Daim (Zainuddin) and the Council of Eminent Persons (CEP) began reviewing mega infrastructure projects like the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) and KL-Singapore High-Speed Rail (HSR), to determine their benefit for the people, it was in the context of using large sums of public funds to finance them and whether there would be positive returns to the nation and rakyat. 

“This is different from the major components in Penang’s PTMP, that is the Bayan Lepas LRT (light rail transit) and the Pan Island Link (PIL) expressway, as both these key infrastructure projects will be fully funded by revenue generated from the sale of reclaimed land in the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project.

“The fully funded nature of the LRT and PIL of the PTMP is unlike any other mega infrastructure project being critically reviewed by the CEP,” he said today.

Chow, who is also the exco in charge of transport, land matters and development, said the LRT and PIL projects would be fully owned by the state government, as well as the three man-made islands to be reclaimed off the southern coast of Penang in the PSR project.

He also said the scope of the project delivery partner, SRS Consortium, was only to deliver the project within cost and on time, and that it would not be involved in the construction of the PTMP components or PSR reclamation.

“SRS also has to hold open tenders with the Penang government to award the construction work packages of different PTMP components and the PSR reclamation to ensure the state gets the best value.

“SRS will manage the various contractors to ensure timely delivery that is within budget.” 

The PTMP outlines public transport, highway and traffic management strategies to be implemented by Penang up until 2030 to tackle congestion in the state. It is based on comprehensive studies undertaken several years ago by transport consultant Halcrow.

Civil groups, including environmentalists, oppose the projects, as well as the proposed land reclamation.

Chow said the state government would soon appoint an independent economic consultant to provide data and make recommendations for the three man-made islands.

“We also intend to conduct a master planning competition amongst top international architectural and developmental teams to ensure the best minds are employed to provide the latest ground-breaking ideas for the three islands. 

“A key agenda for the islands will be substantial public and affordable housing. The islands will be Smart Cities that leapfrog Penang into the future and provide a firm foundation for the state’s economic growth.”

Chow also said that the government had sought public feedback on the PTMP.

In the spirit of openness and transparency, he said the state also had an extensive two-day workshop with Penang Forum on September 24 and 25 in 2016 on the master plan.

He said interests of parties affected by the reclamation project, like fishermen, were also looked into, with proposals to build new jetties and artificial reefs to promote sustainable fishing, re-skill fishermen opting for other careers and provide education opportunities for their children.

“The state has taken a highly balanced approach to ensure all stakeholders benefit in the implementation of the PTMP and PSR projects.” – June 12, 2018.