Anwar impressed with Chow's willingness to review PSR project

PKR president Anwar Ibrahim (photo) said he was "personally impressed" with Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow as he was willing to review the scale and size of the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project.

Anwar said it is not always, whether in the past or present, that a chief minister was willing to be open and negotiate with others about the state government's project.

He said the state must consider views of fisherfolk and civil society, as they must be told that the state has certain requirements and necessity for infrastructure.

However, Anwar claimed to have not been committed to any views until he spoke to both sides - the fisherfolk and the state.

"We have now listened to both sides, and we heard the CM is not adamant to go ahead with the project's three islands but is willing to review it with the condition they get federal funding," Anwar said at a press conference in George Town today.

"If it happens, then the whole project can be scaled down to one island," he added.

"Therefore, it is my duty to persuade them (fisherfolk) to have a more positive view, and they will if we continue to negotiate with them as they are passionate with what they do," he stressed.

Anwar met with Chow for an hour today to discuss the state's rationale for the PSR, which involves the creation of three artificial islands.

Spanning 1,821ha, the project in Bayan Lepas is to be developed and partly sold to fund the state's RM46 billion transport master plan, which includes a light rail transit system from Komtar to the Penang International Airport and the three islands.

Fishermen groups and NGOs have strongly opposed the project. On July 11, around 200 people marched to Parliament to demand Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to cancel the PSR.

Following the march, Anwar met with the fisherfolk and NGOs so that he could bring their grouses to a "higher level".

He expressed support for the Penang gov’t when it pursued federal funding for the LRT and Pan Island highway project, enabling the reclamation exercise to be "scaled down".

On the matter of compensation, Anwar said he had told Chow that the welfare and future of the fisherfolk must also be protected, as their demands were not merely about cash.

Anwar said he understands that some form of reclamation should be allowed in the state as he wanted a "win-win" situation.

"A meeting was called with Chow and the project delivery partner as I had some reservations about the project,” he said.

Asked if the project would be scaled down to only one island, Chow merely replied, "I will answer it when we come to it".

On July 4, the state obtained conditional approval from the federal government for the PSR, with 72 conditions. Federal approval was also given for the 30km LRT project but the state has to comply with 30 conditions. - Mkini

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