THE Penang government today said civil society groups protesting the proposed Pan Island Link 1 (PIL1) are intentionally painting a wrong picture of the development in order to raise opposition to the highway project.

Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said there was “clear misinformation” on the portrayal of PIL 1, with inaccurate visuals and descriptions used to “provoke unnecessary negative sentiments among the general public”.

Chow was referring to images generated by activists depicting a 250m long cable-stayed bridge proposed at the Youth Park, an important green lung on the island.

He said the use of “self-created pictures to misrepresent the project and create unnecessary anxiety” was unacceptable.

“The state government would like to inform that such practice is unhealthy and should not be encouraged, as it will lead to undesired negative perception among the public,” Chow said in a statement today.

“We would like to take this opportunity to urge the public not to be unduly influenced by incorrect information shared on social media and news portals or blogs.”

Chow said the park would remain open during the construction, so park-goers would not be affected.

The environmental impact assessment report of PIL 1, a RM7.5 billion highway that connects Persiaran Gurney in the north and the second Penang Bridge in the south, is currently open for public display.

As much as 70% of the 19.5km highway will be tunnels cutting through Penang Hill and the hills of Paya Terubong and Sg Ara.

The state has welcomed open discourse on the Penang Transport Master Plan, which PIL 1 is part of, but Chow said activists should be careful not to mislead the public.

He then referred to recent statements by civil societies on the excessive use of explosives to blast through hills to build the highway’s tunnel, alongside other environmental concerns.

Chow said focusing the public’s attention on unnecessary details would “undermine the importance of PIL 1” in improving Penang Island’s road network and overcoming the worsening traffic congestion.

“It would be misleading to highlight the amount of explosives required, as opposed to the strict control measures that will be executed before, during and after the tunnel construction.

“The question of how much explosives will be needed for tunnel construction is redundant, as it is only but a means to complete the tunnelling works.

“Instead, one should be asking what is the level of environmental and safety standards which we should adhere to,” Chow.

He also stressed that the construction of tunnels would be done “under controlled conditions”, adding that international and Malaysian guidelines will be fully complied with to ensure the safety of workers and the public during the tunnelling process.

The newly appointed chief minister also said the plan to build a tunnel through Penang Hill was made following a detailed study to replace the earlier proposed viaduct.

The tunnel would avoid impacting the Penang Hill Special Area Plan, which took effect on September 1, 2016.

He also said the PIL 1 highway will have no exposed parts on the hill and would not affect the funicular railway operations.

“The public should not be apprehensive of the proposed underground construction, as the advancement of tunnelling technology today has enabled the potential effects of noise and vibration to be brought to a minimal.” – July 26, 2018.