Press Statement by YB Daniel Gooi, Penang State Assemblyman for Pengkalan Kota on 28th April 2023 (Friday) in George Town, Penang:
I refer to the recent announcement made by Rt. Hon. Chief Minister of Penang, YAB Sdr. Chow Kon Yeow in relation to the conditional approval of the Penang South Islands (PSI) project Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report by the Department of Environment (DoE) under the Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change, as well as the various responses made by individuals and organisations.
The said announcement are indeed a great news eagerly waited by fellow Penangites, where by the PSI project will definitely serves as the future catalyst for Penang, in the continued journey to become an economically and socially developed state, that will surely inspires the nation.
The conditional approval of the EIA report comes with stringent conditions, all 71 of them to ensure that the implementation of the PSI project will have minimal impact, especially environmental impact for a sustainable development project.
The real challenge begins now where the Penang State Government will have to ensure all these conditions are met in order to complete this development project that will benefit Penangites in the long run.
Despite the fact that this conditional approval by DoE is not a blanket green light that grant the State Government “to do as it pleases “, some comments and responses by certain individuals and organisations made the announcement sounds like “the end of the world”. This conditional approval are set out by the relevant laws and regulations, on top of the mitigation and efforts made by the Penang State Government to ensure the sustainability of the said project.
I believe all concerns that had been raised by various individuals and organisations will be taken into account by the State Government, not in a one-off manner but in the long run to ensure that the implementation of this project will achieve its ultimate objective of benefiting Penangites in the long run, with the implementation of the Penang Transport Master Plan and the various economic and social benefit from the PSI project.
There is light at the end of the tunnel. With the announcement of the conditional approval for the EIA of PSI project, we may now respond to the many queries made by our constituents on the implementation of PSI project as well as the Penang Transport Master Plan.
DANIEL GOOI ZI SEN