GEORGE TOWN, Nov 28 – A big portion of the sea off the southern side of Penang Island will be reclaimed as a way to fund the RM27 billion Penang Master Transport Plan (TMP). The media briefing was attended by local government and traffic management committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow and Gamuda Land senior general manager, Datuk Abdul Sahak Safi..
“The two man-made islands will be have its own self cleansing system to prevent siltation. The two man-made island was about 2,000 acres and 1,300 acres respectively, with additional areas that may be identified to reclaim another 800 acre island which next to the two larger islands. For the 800 acre island, we are still conduct the site studies of the area,” said SRS Consortium’s project director Szeto Wai Loong.
Szeto said the reclaimed part, extensive studies have been conducted by internationally-reputed water environment expert Danish Hydraulic Institut, where it has confirmed that the southern coast of Penang Island is most for reclamation due to its natural bay area with weak tidal currents, shallow waters, and sheltered from effort of tsunami.
The proposed reclaimed land will be an asset of the State, and as the sole owner by the state government and it will be able raise the funds needed to deliver the TMP effectively in a timely and sustainable manner, he added. Among the amenities planned for the proposed reclaimed land included a 5km beach, 25km coastal park, 30km waterfront and 700 acres of green spaces.
“We still need to conduct several months of preliminary studies along with getting public engagement on the proposed reclamation. After finalising the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) studies, the proposed project will be displayed publicly for public feedback by June 2016,” Szeto said.
The reclaimed land, touted to be a smart, green city called SRS Smart City, will provide land for housing solutions and also to allow for expansion of the industrial zone due to its close proximity to the Bayan Lepas International Airport and the Free Trade Zone (FTZ).
In the meantime, Chow also said that all components are still under the preliminary study stage which not yet finalise yet. In the meantime, he said SRS Consortium will also conduct a monthly media to brief on the the progress of the TMP as it rolls out plans for each component. The TMP, he added, is the state’s solutions to Penang’s growing traffic woes and it is expected to be fully completed by 2030.
