GEORGE TOWN – The proposal to reclaim land in the waters near Persiaran Karpal Singh and the restoration works at the Jelutong Landfill Site will not encroach upon the Middle Bank Marine Sanctuary.
Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said that the state government ensured that the proposed project does not involve the area identified as the Middle Bank Marine Sanctuary.
"We have identified this area beforehand. It will not involve the Middle Bank area,” he said at a press conference at the Menteri Besar’s Office here on Friday.
Chow made the statement in response to questions regarding the Middle Bank Marine Sanctuary.
The Middle Bank Marine Sanctuary covered approximately 10 square kilometres in the southern Straits between Penang Island and the mainland. It is the only seagrass bed area in the Strait of Malacca.
Research has revealed that a total of 429 species of seagrass, trees, plants, fish, birds, marine mammals, turtles, mollusks, arthropods and echinoderms were been found in the area.
Meanwhile, Chow said that the reclaimed land would be connected to the existing area at Persiaran Karpal Singh.
"The restoration of the Jelutong landfill site and the reclamation project are currently awaiting Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approval from the Department of Environment (DOE).
"The public display for the EIA is currently ongoing, so the public, individuals and organisations are encouraged to submit their opinions and feedback for DOE’s consideration,” he said.
He said that the Jelutong landfill site which had been used as a disposal centre since the 1990s, would be restored by recycling recyclable waste, while the remaining waste would be sent to a temporary disposal site at Pulau Burung.
"Once restored, the land will be used for mixed development projects.
"Under the agreement with the concession company, the state government and the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) will receive a portion of the restored land,” he added.
He added that the Jelutong landfill site currently covers an area of between 80 to 90 acres (36 hectares).
"The total land area after reclamation will be approximately 67 hectares. This includes the 36-hectare landfill site. Previous reports stated that around 30 hectares of land will be reclaimed in the waters near Persiaran Karpal Singh as part of this project.
"The state government will obtain between 20 to 30 per cent of the total land area, including the reclaimed land,” he said.
He also informed that the concession party would bear the full cost of the reclamation and restoration project.
"Therefore, they will receive a larger portion of the land. The restoration work is expected to take about five to six years to complete,” he said.
According to him, the project has not yet begun as it is still awaiting EIA approval from DOE.
Previously, PDC signed an agreement with PLB Engineering Bhd in 2020 to carry out the restoration and development of the Jelutong landfill site at a cost of RM1 billion.
On Feb 12 this year, the DOE issued a public notice regarding the proposed restoration and reclamation project on their official Facebook page.