Rosli Omar
rosliomar@fastmail.fm
Posted 21 July 2019
11 July 2019, march to parliament to present a memorandum to lawmakers that Penangnites, environmentalists, NGOs, and especially fishermen affected by the proposed three-island sea reclamation project be scrapped. Some 4800 fishermen will be affected.
Total area of the islands is 1821 hectares (4500 acres), to be created by dumping sand just south of the main Penang island. Thus, it is called the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project. It is to be 4.5m above sea level. The sand to be extracted to make these islands would thus come from an even bigger area than the sea to be covered-up by the islands.
Sand is expected to be dredged from the Perak coast (Kuala Sepetang area, affecting more than 6000 fishermen), and Port Kelang. Thus the march included a large contingent from Perak. The immediate expected environmental impacts then are the sea ecosystems covered-up by the islands and those where the sand would be dredged. The dredging sucks away all plants and creatures that call the area home. With these gone other creatures in the food chain too would be affected. When the islands come into existence they in turn would further affect the sea ecosystem, example, current flow. The vulnerable Olive Ridley turtles that visit the present beaches would not come anymore. Also affected would be the Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin and the Indo-Pacific Finless Porpoise.
Prime minister Dr Mahathir said if PSR impacts the environment action would be taken but if the above are not environmental impacts then I don’t know what is. By what he said PSR must be rejected.
The banner says the PSR is the same as the hated Forest City reclamation project in Johor that destroyed mangroves to build a luxury housing project and thus PSR must be rejected.
Nazri Ahmad, chairman of the Penang Fishermen Association.
They are demonstrating that they the fishermen are being treated like rotten fish.
A fighter fisherman that I meet again later
Most affected fishermen in the PSR area are Malay but Chinese are affected too. Those wearing a suit or in batik are to go into parliament to present the memorandum which require these formal attires. I guess this is to prevent ordinary rakyat from disturbing the YBs, the Honorable Members, hard at work.
Halim, with the Perak contingent.
Meor of Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM, Friends of the Earth Malaysia) showing a booklet they produced, “Impacts of Sea Reclamation in Malaysia”.
Mohideen Abdul Kader, President of Consumer Association of Penang, who took over in acting capacity when his brother SM Idris died a few months ago.
Salma Khoo, a prime mover of the movement against PSR. She started a petition opposing it. You can still sign it:
https://www.change.org/p/prime-minister-of-malaysia-save-penang-reject-the-3-islands-reclamation
“Don’t pour sand in our rice bowl”
A young climate activist joins too. She and friends provide the beat to the protesters chants and generally keep their spirits up.
Another climate activist.
Waiting for the march to start.
Showing an orange buoy used by developers that is the wrong kind because it has no lights and thus dangerous at night. The green is the right one, with lights. He has written to the authorities about this but receives no reply. Nothing new here..
Finally about 930 am the march starts. Some 400 people attended.
“Fisherfolks oppose reclamation”
Mageswari of SAM, in the middle. She’s been fighting for the environment for ages.
Adela, another prime mover against PSR, and Caroline another long-time environmental activist. She goes around holding a placard, Tanam Pokok (Plant Trees). Her T-shirt says, Sampah Menyampah (Fed up of Thrash). Both are landscape architects.
Just got the “Tolak Tambak” T-shirt from her.
Arul, an old hand of Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM). PSM has been very vocal about environmental issues. A few months ago they had a workshop on climate change, a first for a political party as far as I’m aware.