By Marina Emmanuel

ON a clear and haze-free day, the view from the deck of Beach Blanket Babylon in George Town, sends its diners into holiday and chilled spirits.

Depending on the time you visit, fishing boats – some bobbing on the water’s edge while others carry fishermen to and from their daily jobs – are part of the idyllic landscape.

While many will claim that the establishment (housed in the 1920s Italianate-inspired Leong Yin Kean Mansion along Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah) and its signature Crab Laksa serve as a major draw, the view as seen in the attached video, is a clear winner for others.

Penang island’s fishing boats and fishermen are slowly becoming a sight many will easily miss, unless one drives out to spots like Teluk Bahang, Pulau Betong, Balik Pulau and Teluk Kumbar.

As an island known for its spirit of activism and public interest groups whose voices are heard not only locally but globally, the Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) is standing up for Penang fishermen with this latest call …

To scrap a multi-billion and ambitious reclamation effort, tagged PSR or the Penang South Reclamation project.

Ahead of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s visit to his home state this weekend, CAP has sent an appeal asking Anwar and the Unity Government to take steps to cancel the “wasteful” three island PSR project which the association says will cause irreversible damage to the environment and the fishing community.

“CAP welcomes the Prime Minister’s recent statement that he had concerns about the PSR project and that he is prepared to look into the objections to it,” it said in a statement, referencing a New Straits Times April 28 report.

“The PSR project,” it noted, “will have a devastating impact on the environment, food security, climate, the fishing community, and the demography of Penang island. 

“This contradicts the MADANI policy framework, one of the pillars of which is to promote sustainable development.”

CAP said that the DAP-led Penang state government had initially justified the mega reclamation project to finance the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) since the then Federal Government controlled by Barisan Nasional was not supporting it.

“The situation has now radically changed whereby we understand that the Unity Government is prepared to provide the funds required to finance improvements to the existing transport system to overcome traffic congestion.

“We are curious as to why the Penang state government is adamantly insisting on proceeding with the reclamation project despite its adverse ecological and social impacts.

“Faced with strong criticism of the reclamation project, the state government is now justifying the project by claiming that Penang needs more land for development and creating jobs.

“This claim,” it added,” is baseless and contradicted by the reality on the ground. Just across the second bridge in Batu Kawan, over 3,000 acres of land is available for economic growth. It has all the amenities and is close and well connected to the Butterworth Port and Bayan Lepas International Airport.”

“The Chief Minister himself had admitted recently that over 12,000 hectares of land in Seberang Perai can be used for development. Also, several industrial estates in Penang are under-utilized. The state should focus on attracting investments there instead of pouring money into the sea for a problematic project.”

In stressing that the mega reclamation will exacerbate the climate crisis, CAP said:

“Implementing the project would need 4,500 acres of the sea, an important carbon sink, to be covered with sand and soil. Additionally, it will produce 3.2 million tons of carbon emissions per year, in violation of Malaysia’s commitment under the Paris Agreement.

“Malaysia had undertaken to cut carbon intensity against GDP by 45 per cent by 2030 compared to 2005 levels. What is so pressing a need that we are prepared to breach an international treaty? Does it benefit the people? Certainly not.

In addition, the total amount of sand needed for the project would be 190 million cubic meters, to be sourced from Penang and Perak waters.  This is equivalent to volumes of sand that can fill up 75,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools, further damaging areas from where the sand is mined!”

Also of concern and highlighted by the consumer body is that if successfully implemented, the three-island project would also bring about a major demographic change, with the local fishing community and those in the B40 segment being displaced to seek shelter in other places.

“Their places,” says CAP, “will be taken over by the local rich and wealthy foreigners from China, Hong Kong and the West. 

“Is favouring both the local and foreign wealthy elite in line with the MADANI principles?,” it asks.

CAP president Mohideen Abdul Kader wraps up by saying that “politics and cronyism should not be allowed to trump the interests and welfare of our people, social justice and the environment.”