PN to scrap Penang reclamation if it comes to power - Lau

BAYAN LEPAS - The Penang South Island (PSI) project will be scrapped if Perikatan Nasional (PN) wins big and forms the next state government, says Penang PN chief Datuk Dr Dominic Lau Hoe Chai

Lau said stopping the reclamation project was indeed one of his manifesto.

"If PN is given the mandate in the state elections, we will cancel the reclamation projects. We will not allow even one island to be scrapped off," he said when met by reporters here today.

Lau said he shared the same stand with 6,000 fishermen who were against the massive reclamation project.

The Gerakan president said PN would focus on developing the eco-tourism in fishing villages instead of reclamation.

"We are not objecting to the developments but focusing on the Penang tourism industry.

"The developments DAP have been doing is building condominiums which are not affordable for the Penangnites," he said.

Earlier, a total of 6,000 fishermen raised their objections to the controversial PSI project undertaken by the Penang government and its developer, SRS Consortium Sdn Bhd.

This project was a new urban development off the coast of Penang Island that includes homes, leisure, and work sites.

It was intended to be an Internet of Things (IOT)-enabled smart city to complement Georgetown.

On May 10, the Penang government announced that it would do away with two of the three islands of PSI reclamation project.

This would result in a 49 percent scaling down of the man-made island project.

PSI consists the development of three artificial islands, with an area of 1,800ha near Bayan Lepas.

The project, however received objections from the fishermen community as the project would bring harm to the marine ecosystem and the livelihoods of fishermen in the area.