CIVIL society members and residents associations’ representatives gathered outside the Penang state assembly again this morning to protest against the proposed Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP).

This is the second time in a week detractors of the PTMP and its Pan Island Link 1 (PIL1) project have protested outside the building as the House sits.

They protested the first time on Monday, the first day the debates began. Today is the last day of the current sitting.

Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, who is the exco in charge of transport, is scheduled to deliver his winding-up speech later this morning. He is expected to address issues raised throughout the week by backbenchers concerning the PTMP and PIL1 project.

Penang Forum, a local group that has been very vocal against the project, gave handouts to the media pinpointing a May 29, 2002 speech by Chow when he was the opposition Tanjong MP objecting to Barisan Nasional’s RM5 billion Penang Outer Ring Road (PORR).

Chow had reportedly said years ago that the PORR project pushed by the BN administration would not be a long-term solution for Penang’s traffic congestion problem, and needed a total review.

As the House began with question time, the protestors outside chanted:

“Review PTMP. No way highway. PIL go away. SRS, stay away. Please go far, far away. This is what I want to say!”

SRS refers to PTMP project delivery partner SRS Consortium, which will see to the implementation of the master plan’s components, which include the PIL1 and a LRT (light rail transit) project that links Penang International Airport in Bayan Lepas with Komtar in the city centre.

“We want modern trams!” the group of over 30 people chanted by the roadside in front of the state assembly building.

Also present at the rally was Penang Parti Sosialis Malaysia central committee member Choo Chon Kai and former Tanjung Bungah assemblyman Teh Yee Cheu.

Former Batu Uban assemblyman T. Jayabalan from PKR said some of the party’s representatives in the House were helping to raise questions about the PTMP and PIL1 project.

“The proposed highway project affects many people and schools. There is a lot of unhappiness, which our representatives are helping to bring up in the House,” he said.

Yesterday morning, a group of supporters of the project held a rally, saying it would save travel time and reduce traffic jams.

The group was made up of factory workers and representatives from the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) Penang branch and Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce.

PIL1 is a RM7.5 billion highway that connects Persiaran Gurney in the north and the second Penang Bridge in the south. – August 10, 2018.