BAYAN LEPAS, February 23 – On December 29, 2023, seven fishermen led by Zakaria Ismail, alongside environmental groups Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) and Jaringan Ekologi dan Iklim (JEDI), lodged an application for Judicial Review at the Penang High Court to contest the planning permission granted for the Penang South Reclamation Project (PSR) by the Penang State Director of Town and Country Planning.
This legal action targets the Penang State Government, PLANMalaysia, and SRS Consortium Sdn Bhd, demanding the annulment of the planning permission and restoration of affected areas to their original state. Following a grant of leave on February 5, 2024, by the Penang High Court to proceed with the Judicial Review application, the applicants are seeking various orders, including a declaration of the invalidity of the planning permission and an immediate halt to reclamation works.
The applicants cite violations of the Town and Country Planning Act 1976, highlighting failures in obtaining necessary approvals and inadequate consideration of environmental and social impacts. Furthermore, they argue that the absence of a completed Environmental Impact Assessment Report at the time of planning permission approval disregarded statutory appeal rights and failed to address irreversible harm to local fishers’ livelihoods.
