Sea change for Batu Ferringhi

THE Penang Municipal Council (MPPP) has pledged to restore Batu Ferringhi’s status as one of the country’s premier tourist spots by improving the sea’s water quality.

State Local Government and Traffic Management Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said the council would get a consultant to look into ways to clean up the coastal waters for tourists and locals.

“Although the pollution level for Batu Ferringhi’s waters has yet to reach an alarming stage, the quality has deteriorated over the years.”

One of the main reasons for pollution, he said, was due to the discharge from commercial and residential premises such as Kampung Chetty and Kampung Mutiara.

Chow told a press conference yesterday that some of the restaurant outlets and food courts did not have the proper waste disposal system and this had contributed to the pollution of the waters.

“Some of the measures taken to curb this problem include upgrading the village drainage system and taking action against the food outlets which did not follow our waste disposal guidelines.”

He added that the poor water quality could also have caused the presence of jellyfish at the shoreline in Batu Ferringhi.

“Hoteliers have received numerous complaints from their guests that they were stung by jellyfish and we view this problem seriously.”