Chow open to scaling down reclamation in landfill project, says group
PETALING JAYA : Penang chief minister Chow Kon Yeow is said to be willing to reduce the scale of land reclamation in a project to rehabilitate a landfill in Jelutong.
The Protect Karpal Singh Drive Action Committee (ProtectKarpal), a group protesting the project, said this was based on an engagement with Chow today.
'Chow expressed willingness to explore the options of scaling down the reclamation and adopting an enclosed waste processing facility, rather than the current open-air plan that threatens tens of thousands of residents with toxic dust and gases.
'We are grateful that the chief minister has heard our concerns directly. His openness to alternative, health-focussed strategies gives us real hope,' said ProtectKarpal chairman AD Chandrasekaran in a statement.
Chandrasekaran said Chow also agreed to hold a fresh independent survey of social acceptance to the project among affected communities.
In 2020, the state government and Penang Development Corporation signed a deal with PLB Engineering Bhd to develop and rehabilitate the Jelutong landfill at a cost of RM1 billion.
The landfill, about 3km from George Town's core area, was a sanitary landfill. However, since 2002, only construction debris and garden waste had been allowed to be dumped there.
According to a state assembly reply last November, PLB is to prepare a new site for the disposal of construction waste and marine clay, and development plans for the rehabilitated site. A waste-to-energy plant on the reclaimed area was also being considered by the state government.
In a Facebook post on Feb 12, the environment department issued a public notice for the proposed rehabilitation and reclamation project, which it estimated would take four to five years to complete.
ProtectKarpal presented its demands in its meeting with Chow today, including an outright rejection of the proposed reclamation in view of possible ecological damage.
It called for Middle Bank, a seagrass-rich coastal area near the proposed project site, to be immediately gazetted as a marine sanctuary, citing its vital role in local fisheries and ecological stability.
The group urged the state government to adopt a greener and safer strategy for rehabilitating the Jelutong landfill, citing global examples such as Seoul where old landfills had been converted into renewable energy hubs or public parks.
It also demanded the commissioning of independent environmental and health impact assessments with direct input from scientists and residents as well as full public disclosure of all project documents.
'We demand sustainable progress, not irreversible harm. We stand ready to collaborate on genuinely sustainable, community-driven solutions for Penang's future,' Chandrasekaran said.
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