Reclaimed land to fund project in Penang
The RM27bil Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) might be funded through the auction of two plots of reclaimed land in the southern coast of Penang island.
SRS Consortium, the appointed Project Delivery Partner (PDP) of the plan, has proposed the reclaimed land as an asset for the state to raise funds to deliver the project in a timely and sustainable manner.
The two man-made islands, located near Permatang Damar Laut, will be known as the South Reclamation Scheme (SRS) spanning 930ha and 445ha.
A third plot of 323ha reclaimed land next to the two islands has also been identified if there is a future demand for land activities.
SRS Consortium project director Szeto Wai Loong said Danist Hydraulic Institute, an internationally reputed water environment expert, recently carried out extensive studies on the southern coast of the island.
The institute, he said, confirmed that the coast was the most suitable for reclamation due to its natural bay area with weak tidal currents, shallow water and natural shelter from the effects of tsunami.
“They checked all the coastlines in Penang island, and found that the southern coast is most technically viable for reclamation as it has limited environmental sensitivity, with no seagrass or coral reefs.
“Our communications team will be engaging with the fishermen in the area. We want to hear them out,” he told reporters at a briefing in Komtar here yesterday.
Szeto said the man-made islands would see a new smart green city called SRS Smart City, aimed at re-energising Penang’s economic engine for the next 50 years.
He said the new city’s location would be close to the Bayan Lepas International Airport and this would allow the Free Trade Zone’s 471 small and medium enterprises and 117 multinational companies to expand.
“We were told 30% of the companies had wanted to expand but there’s no room for them to grow at the moment.
“SRS Smart City will be able to help these companies expand. The islands will have their own self-cleansing system to prevent erosion and siltation.
“Besides providing attractive housing solutions, there will also be a 5km beach, a 25km coastal park, a 30km waterfront and 283ha of green areas,” he said.
He added that there would be an efficient rail transit system serving the new city.
SRS Consortium is a company formed by public-listed Gamuda Bhd and two local property firms – Loh Phoy Yen Holdings Sdn Bhd and Ideal Property Development Sdn Bhd.
It was appointed by the state in August to come up with a detailed execution of the master plan and engineering designs, and to gather public feedback and obtain all state and federal approvals for each PTMP component.
Among the components of PTMP were trams, monorail, light rail transit lines, e-bus, bus rapid transit, pan-island expressway, a catamaran system and a RM100mil highway interchange upgrading project.
Szeto said they had spent RM10mil to carry out feasibility studies on PTMP.
Penang Local Government, Traffic Management and Flood Mitigation Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said the project was still “a work in progress”.
“The state government has not given any approval yet. Submission of detailed environmental impact assessment will only be done in June next year.
“We will be doing more than the legal provision requires. We will engage various stakeholders next month with a similar presentation. This will allow us to finetune the project after getting feedback,” he said.
Source: TheStar.com.my
A lot of negative articles and opinions on this issue being generated by political people and so called “Eco friendly” and “Enviromental” people.
When meanwhile, real penang people on the island and mainland have to suffer in this steadily increasing congestion every single day forever?
What will the island and mainland transport system look like in 10 years time if tough decisions are not made today?
All over the country and the world sacrifices have to be made to accomadate the ever increasing tide of humanity.
Real Penang people need to make more noise and think about solutions and not just suffer in silence day AFTER DAY AFTER DAY, while stuck in a 1 kilometre queue waiting to get onto the ferry or onto the bridge. Or jammed in Tg.Bungah or Greenlane.
And all these people making a lot of noise in the Dewans and Forums and Media Outlets, Please do not just make noise for the sake of making noise, Put forward realistic alternative FUNDING to SOLVE the REAL and WORSENING CONGESTION.
Bearing in mind Penang is , if not mistaken , among the top tax contributors , but no funding is fothcoming from you know where…, and meanwhile in KL… 3 rd , 4 th , 5 th ,6 th LRT Line, Highway Here ! And Here ! Appoved Approved Aproved GO GO GO !
And noisemakers, do not just give some sweeping statement like everyone just take bus, go and try taking Rapid Bus 101, Jetty – Tg. Bungah. Packed to Overflowing at Komtar, no matter how many busses are added. And some people have to squeeze in with thier shopping. Where are the Double Decker buses???
Real penang people from the Mainland and Island know the HUGE EVERYDAY PROBLEMS and need to MAKE THE NOISE, talk to them and FIND SOLUTIONS, SOLVE PROBLEMS and PLAN and PREDICT the PROBLEMS IN THE NEXT 20 YEARS !!
@peter
On behalf of Penangites, i am giving u a super LIKES+1
I agree with Peter, the traffic jam is getting from bad to worse each day.
For the last few weeks, I was caught everyday in the jam along Tg. Bungah to Pulau Tikus and it took almost one hour to finish such a short distant of “silk road” mann !
I agree that Penang traffic congestion should be resolved with better public transportation, However before you have BIG HEAD planning, Please make sure all the illegal cars parked at road side are towed away !! Most of the traffic congestion problem in Georgetown is due to selfish drivers who like to parked their car illegally and lacking of MBPP enforcement to those stubborn drivers. If you drive along the Jalan Burma weekday or weekend, you will sure curse those un-educated drivers, however until now I didn’t see any car are summon or towed away.. where is the MBPP enforcement team? If you drive along Macalister road, needless to say the 2 lanes become one lane. because those barbarian driver occupied one lane as their grandfather car park space. These are the most fundamental issue of traffic congestion but until today still no solution under our CAT gov.
I am totally disagree to reclaim land for funding. The environment impact is too disastrous. I am very sure there are many readers in this forum disagree with the 2 huge man made islands off southern part of Island. Until today the top of Bukit Gambir still Botak. Today evening half an hour heavy down pour, the whole Bayan Baru area flooded and Ariport road flooded. Traffic stranded.. if Gov not capable to re-solve flooding issue in Bayan Lepas and Bayan Baru area, I have totally no confidence on the environment impact assessment report to be published on these 2 man made island.
And please don’t always finger pointing to previous useless BN gov..
@peter
Totally agreed. The majority rules even though they dare not speak up. We must unite and not being hijacked or deprived of developments due to a few trouble makers or self proclaim activists.
Penang has been side lined by the BN government for the past 30 years. No one likes the swapping of reclaim land for infrastructures but there is no other alternative. We definitely need the LRT.
@Sunny
1 hour from Tanjung Bunga to Pulau Tikus ? Hahahaha. Were you walking? Or your car broke down half way? Which part of Tanjung Bunga to which part of Pulau Tikus?
Not only MPPP needs to give saman, Police also needs to give saman in order to solve the traffic congestion.
Very happy that REAL Penang PEOPLE have started to come our with their REAL FRUSTRATIONS here, and I hope MORE from BOTH the ISLAND AND MAINLAND will make their MISERY known.
@peter2
“I agree that Penang traffic congestion should be resolved with better public transportation,”
( Your FATHER, ROBERT KUOK ( !!! ), AGREED to FUND Penang Transport Master Plan is it?? WAH !! SO GENEROUS, please send the CHECK to : MR.LIM, KOMTAR.
“I am totally disagree to reclaim land for funding. The environment impact is too disastrous. ”
( YES, PLEASE, SHARE with Us, so called “DISASTROUS” impact. )
( PLEASE, PROPOSE a ALTERNATIVE PLAN to FUND INFRASTRUCTURE for Penang’s FUTURE 20 YEARS. ARE YOU the ONLY PERSON on the ISLAND and MAINLAND NEVER EVER been AFFECTED by CONGESTION? Now and FUTURE? OR MAYBE you DON’T LIVE IN Penang AT ALL? )
( You LOVE the ENVIROMENT so MUCH, COME live with ME here at Mainland near Penaga, BEAUTIFUL, PRISTINE ENVIROMENT with Mangrove and Paddy Fields. You WILL LOVE living here, until YOU GET CAUGHT FOR 2 HOURS in A QUEUE AT Sunway Carnival to GET ACROSS THE BRIDGE on a WEEKDAY MORNING. )
“Until today the top of Bukit Gambir still Botak. Today evening half an hour heavy down pour, the whole Bayan Baru area flooded and Ariport road flooded. ”
( YES, I genuinely pity and sympathise with the poor people of Bayan Lepas especially this year.
State Gov needs to look at cities like NEW ORLEANS for SOLUTIONS, because Bayan Lepas is Barely Above sea level.
I believe there is more to this flood problem then that ONE PATCH of land on Botak Hill, I believe it is a combination of INCREASING high population density and global warming causing higher tides and increased rainfall.
In the end, in the FUTURE we will need another Big Infrastructure like a SEA WALL and pumps like London to stop the flood AND DEAL with HIGH POPULATION, which brings us back to FUNDING FUNDING FUNDING !! )
“if Gov not capable to re-solve flooding issue in Bayan Lepas and Bayan Baru area”
( CALLING AVENGERS TEAM, please raise ENTIRE PENANG ISLAND to ABOVE SEA LEVEL, no need to raise until the sky like ULTRON, YA ? JUST to ABOVE SEA LEVEL !! LoL )
Peter2 are you staying in penang? Do you understand why penang gov need to reclaim land??
I’m penangites and fully support peter. This peter2 likes to talk crab but no solution given. If he can ask some1 to donate 26bil to build penang LRT, definitely i may support peter2 statement.
http://www.thesundaily.my/news/1623480
We need LRT all the way from airport to TSP.
I recommend they focus more on building the direct access roads/highways to Teluk Kumbar/Balik Pulau from Sungai Ara/Relau via hills (as shown in the picture above) since Teluk Kumbar and Balik Pulau will be the current/future trend for developments, and if more people are to move and stay in Teluk Kumbar and Balik Pulau, an efficient direct access roads/highways to Teluk Kumbar/Balik Pulau should be considered.
No need LRT for Tg. Seri Pinang folks all they need traffic jams.
I just came back from Hong Kong visiting a cousin 2 weeks back. Nice weather there, with excellent transportation network, MRT, buses etc.
The last time I saw her was 12 years ago. She was single then but got boyfriend. As of 2 weeks ago, she was still single (in her mid thirties now), and still the same boyfriend. Puzzling right? If you’re gonna stick with the same guy, you might as well get married, or, might as well just get another boyfriend.
So here’s the reason. The boyfriend is currently sharing an apartment with his brother, which would cost HKD4mil to buy today. The size of the apt is 300+sf. Yes, 300+sf. The reason they can’t get married :-
(1) The current apt is too small for 3 of them.
(2) They can’t afford to buy another apt if they get married now.
(3) He is working super super hard now to save up for the down payment of an apt (300+sf most likely). Because the price level is already so high, the banks are asking 40% down payment, 60% loan.
I hope everyone here is aware of what we are up against in the long run if we start off on the wrong footing. For a country this size with a population of 30 mil, we have every opportunity to avoid this urban curse, the curse of waking up in the morning, rushing for the train, rushing for work, rushing for that promotion, rushing for everything, and in the end still find yourself no where.
I am not anti progress. But we must strive for a more meaningful and well balanced progress.
@Daniel
I agree Balik Pulau is the future development for residential.If highways and direct access roads are efficient, those people working in Bayan Lepas or Bayan Baru will consider to stay in Balik Pulau.Afterall, for a single storey landed property in Bayan Lepas,the price is almost double a 2 storey landed house in Balik Pulau.
I recommend they focus more on building the direct access sea tunnel to the Butterworth/Kepala Batas/Bukit Mertajam from Gurney Drive/Tanjung Bungah via seabed since Butterworth and Bukit Mertajam and Seberang Jaya and Bagan Ajam and Teluk Air Tawar and Kepala Batas will be the current/future trend for developments, and if more people are to move and stay in Butterworth and Kepala Batas and Bukit Mertajam, an efficient direct Tunnel Link/highway to Butterworth/Kepala Batas/Bukit Mertajam should be considered.