GEORGE TOWN: The Penang Fishermen’s Association wants to meet Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow to discuss safeguarding their welfare in light of the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project in the southern part of the island.
The association’s chairman Nazri Ahmad said a letter was sent to Chow's office on Tuesday requesting for a meeting.
“Previously, we sent a couple of memoranda of understanding to the former chief minister (Lim Guan Eng), but we did not get any reply from him.
“However, we are hopeful that the new chief minister will be more willing to meet us,” he told a press conference in Batu Maung, here, today.
Nazri said they were optimistic about meeting Chow, as the latter had issued a statement calling for fishermen to understand the need for the PSR and the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP).
“From his statement we think he is concerned about our welfare and is an understanding person.
This is in complete contrast to state agriculture committee chairman Dr Afif Bahardin, who had shown a complete disregard for the fishermen’s welfare,” he said.
Nazri said the state government should have met the association much earlier as it had a better understanding of the fishermen's needs.
“We are disappointed that they never called on us to discuss the welfare of the fishermen because as fishermen ourselves, we know better than even the state Fisheries Department.
“In fact, we don’t want money but a solution to continue our fishing despite the sea reclamation,” he said.
Nazri said the fishermen had at their own cost conducted a study on a transformation plan to improve the livelihoods of fishermen.
“One of the suggestions is to get a new boat for the fishermen, which will enable them to go further out to sea to fish,” he said.
Afif said the PSR project had yet to be approved and, as such, the fishermen’s concerns and demands were premature.
“Not even a grain of sand has been put on the southern coast for reclamation so what fishermen's plight are we talking about now.
“We will look into the fishermen’s welfare when the time comes,” he said.