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GEORGE TOWN (September 13): The Penang government will organise a public forum on the proposed Pan Island Link 1 (PIL 1) highway project next week, with the help of the Department of Environment (DoE).
Free Malaysia Today (FMT) quoted Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, who said his government would help organise the town hall on the behest of the DoE, the federal environment regulator.
Called the “PIL Environment Impact Assessment Town Hall Session”, the forum is scheduled for Sept 20 at the Setia SPICE Convention Centre in Relau from 8pm to 10.30pm.
“In line with the administration’s principle of transparency and commitment to listen and to understand the rakyat, we wish to inform that we will hold a town hall to let the public share their concerns on the proposed project.
“The Penang government hereby commits to respond to all issues raised and these responses shall be forwarded to the DoE,” Chow was quoted as saying by the news portal. He was speaking at a press conference in Komtar, today.
Chow will attend the session, and he might be joined by Energy, Technology, Science, Climate Change and Environment Minister Yeo Bee Yin.
Regarding the topic of the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP), Chow said there would be another town hall session. It is currently tentatively scheduled for Sept 30. The public would be notified of further details.
The RM46 billion PTMP and the RM6.3 billion undersea tunnel, along with construction of three major roads is part of efforts to alleviate growing issues with congestion, which includes a network of highways, an LRT line and other modes of public transport built along with the creation of three islands on the southern coast.
The 19.5km PIL 1 highway from Gurney Drive to the second bridge is part of the PTMP.
The FMT reports that DoE is currently obtaining the public’s feedback on the project through the display of Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) documents at select locations in the state and online.
The deadline for the feedback in writing to the DoE on the PIL 1 project is Sept 24.
Last year, the DoE approved one of the roads which will cut through the hills of Tanjung Bungah and Teluk Bahang. This is despite objections from the nearby residents.
Construction of the said road, the North Coast Paired Road, has yet to begin as the Penang government has yet to sign a commencement of work order. The contractors have reportedly said they plan to begin next year.
