GEORGE TOWN: The proposed “Penang Bay” development project will not involve any land reclamation, said Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.
Chow told the New Straits Times yesterday that the plan was to spruce up the wharf areas on the island and mainland.
“There will be no development in the waters linking the island and mainland. We are looking at only developing the shore areas.
“More importantly, there will not be land reclamation involved. We have a massive reclamation plan for the southern part of the island. That’s it. No more, especially in Penang Bay development.”
On Saturday, Chow announced that the Penang government would present to the world its idea on developing Penang Bay at the 10th World Urban Forum (WUF) in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, next week.
The Penang delegation would be led by state Local Government Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo.
“We hope to find synergy between the bay areas — Penang island and Butterworth. We plan to turn the island side into a cultural hub and the mainland side into an innovative hub.
“We also hope for investment opportunities, for those who want to come and help us here,” he was quoted as saying after the launch of the Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal upgrading project, here.
The Penang government would also hold a competition on the best ideas to develop Penang Bay. Asked if the state government would share its idea for the Penang Bay development with the people before WUF, Chow said it was only a concept.
Penang is set to embark on the massive Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project, which will see the creation of three man-made islands.
Under the PSR project, the state government is proposing to reclaim about 1,800ha of the sea to build three islands south of the Penang International Airport towards the east of Permatang Damar Laut to create a land bank to fund the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP).
The RM46 billion PTMP project entails the construction of an undersea tunnel connecting the island to the mainland, highways, light rail transit, monorail and a bus network on the island and Seberang Prai.
The PSR project, to be carried out off the southern coast of the island, had obtained theEnvironmental Impact Assessment approval from the Department of Environment, which came with 72 conditions.
Various quarters, including environmental non-governmental organisations and the fishing community, had opposed the project due to adverse socio-economic and environmental impacts.