GEORGE TOWN: Spring tides continued to batter Penang’s coastline, uprooting at least five seaside trees between Batu Ferringhi and Tanjung Bungah.
This followed the downing since Friday of several giant Casuarina trees planted in the 1950s, as beach erosion along the stretch worsened.
State infrastructure committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari said several coastal erosion “hotspots” had been identified.
He said survey works under the Federal Government-approved Batu Ferringhi and Tanjung Bungah Coastal Outfall and Erosion Prevention Structures Project were completed last December, with the appointment of consultants now in progress and expected to be finalised early this year.
The project, approved with an allocation of RM61mil under the 12th Malaysia Plan, Rolling Plan 5, aimed to reduce coastal erosion and ensure beaches remained safe, stable and attractive as major tourism destinations.
“Physical works will commence once the detailed design plan is completed and short-term interim works are being applied for under federal funding this year to mitigate erosion at several affected areas,” he said yesterday.
Zairil said the Irrigation and Drainage Department was reviewing the Penang State Integrated Shoreline Management Plan, which is expected to be completed by Q3 2027.
“The study will guide the state government in identifying beaches at risk of erosion so that prevention measures can be planned and implemented in a phased and systematic manner,” he said.
In Batu Ferringhi, hospitality operators said the erosion was badly affecting guests’ experience.
A local beach resort’s communication director, Datuk Suleiman Tunku Abdul Rahman, said the resort had sought assistance from the Penang Island City Council to clear fallen trees.
“If no action is taken now, the problem will only worsen in the coming months,” he said.
He said foreign guests had taken photos and videos of fallen trees and eroded beaches and shared them online, impacting Batu Ferringhi’s reputation as a tourism hub.
While thankful for efforts by the state government and its agencies, Suleiman said the resort was taking its own measures to maintain its appeal.
“Within our property, we are replanting and enhancing green spaces, as our gardens are a key reason many tourists return,” he said.
He suggested installing public signage along the beach to inform visitors about mitigation efforts and manage expectations.
Sahabat Alam Malaysia president Meenakshi Raman said the coastal erosion was now hitting Tanjung Bungah, which had a direct impact on local residents.
“We have raised this issue for years, yet the effects of mitigation measures are not apparent,” she said, calling for independent studies to determine why erosion was worsening.
She said the Tanjung Bungah Residents Association had written to the state government and the department on Jan 12 to highlight residents’ concerns.
“The sea is edging closer to hotels and residential areas, and many trees are at risk of falling or have already been uprooted,” its chairman Zulfikar Abdul Aziz said.
The association urged urgent investigation and mitigation measures.
The Star first reported visible beach erosion at Batu Ferringhi in April 2021. In 2022, about RM1mil was spent placing 700 large sandbags along a 250m stretch of beach, with an earlier RM250,000 federal allocation approved for additional sandbags.
Despite these measures, erosion has continued to worsen.
