GEORGE TOWN: The Penang government should undertake a thorough review of the proposed Jelutong landfill rehabilitation and reclamation project following the Environment Department's rejection of its environmental impact assessment (EIA) report, says Penang MCA.
Its chairman Datuk Tan Teik Cheng said despite its fourth rejection by the Environment Department, the Penang government appeared determined to persist with the project.
He said the proposal, which involves large-scale reclamation and development on a landfill site, could potentially cause irreversible damage to Penang's marine ecosystem, coastline and overall environment.
"Is the state government truly placing Penang's environmental safety and the well-being of its people as its top priority?
"Environmental protection must not be treated as a secondary consideration in development planning, nor should Penang's precious natural environment be sacrificed for commercial interests," he said in a statement.
Tan said the MCA was among the earliest political parties to openly oppose the project, said the Penang government must take the Environment Department's decision seriously instead of continuously attempting to "revise and resubmit" the proposal or finding alternative ways to push the project forward.
"Development must be balanced with environmental safeguards.
"But when a project is repeatedly rejected by professional bodies, the state government should have the courage to acknowledge the problems involved instead of persisting with it," he said.
It was earlier reported that the Environment Department had rejected the EIA submitted by PLB Engineering Berhad for the proposed "Landfill Rehabilitation and Land Reclamation Works for Mixed Development at Section 8, Bandar Jelutong, Timur Laut district, Penang"
The proposed project involves rehabilitating part of the former Jelutong landfill and reclaiming land for mixed development.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the project had not been halted despite the EIA setback as the developer may resubmit its application to address conditions raised by the Environment Department.
He said the Penang government must allow the approval process to be fully exhausted before taking any further action under the development agreement.
"If the developer resubmits on the points that have not been complied with, the process is still active. It is not the end yet.
"The developer cannot simply stop while still seeking the EIA. The process must be exhausted before we exercise the rights under the agreement," he was quoted by state publisher Buletin Mutiara.
On scrapping the project, Chow said the government would need to examine its legal obligations under the agreement.
"If you want to scrap it, we would have to review the legal obligations and whether compensation is required," he said.
Chow also indicated that the project might need revision following concerns raised during the EIA process, as some residents had suggested that the landfill rehabilitation could proceed without the reclamation component.
He said the Penang government would consider its options moving forward.
"Without the EIA, we need to think about how to move forward. We haven't crossed that bridge yet.
"I made the statement that if no EIA is obtained, no work can proceed. That is in accordance with the law," he added that.
Chow said with the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) being the project leader from the start, the agency will now review the letter.
"PDC will study the Environment Department letter and make the appropriate recommendations,"
The Jelutong landfill, located along the eastern coast of George Town, was once Penang island's main dumping ground, operating from the 1970s until the early 1990s.
Parts of the former landfill area have since been redeveloped into waterfront developments such as The Light Waterfront Penang.
However, rehabilitating remaining sections of the landfill remains technically challenging due to the large volume of buried waste and potential ground settlement issues.
