Penang Forum reminded the authorities that the National Physical Plan (NPP) contains clear policy statements forbidding coastal land reclamation for purposes other than developing ports for national importance.
“State governments, whether under Perikatan Nasional or Pakatan Harapan, are quick to launch reclamation projects, logging and forest degazettement to raise state and probably political financing.
“These are lazy approaches to obtain revenue,” its steering committee member, Khoo Salma Nasution, said
She said the NPP clearly states that coastal reclamation shall not be permitted in or adjacent to sensitive ecosystems such as marine parks, mangroves, mudflats, coral reefs, seagrass beds, turtle landing sites and major tourism beaches.
Despite this, she said, there are currently more than 20 state-endorsed reclamation projects in the country, either ongoing or in the pipeline.
Taking aim at the Melaka Waterfront Economic Zone (M-WEZ), involving a reclamation exercise along 33km of the state’s coastal stretch, Khoo warned that this could lead to the loss of its World Heritage Status.
“Melaka should be aware that a reclamation which threatens the cultural survival of its historic minority Portuguese Eurasian community might cause them to lose their heritage status.
“Unesco had cited the multi-cultural heritage and tradition of Asia and European colonial influences in Melaka as one of the criteria for its Outstanding Universal Value,” she said.
She said the community, whose culture is intrinsically tied to the sea, could raise the matter with Unesco to say that Melaka is losing its broader historical setting through unbridled coastal reclamation.
Pertubuhan Pelindung Khazanah Alam (Peka) president Sharifah Sabrina Syed Akil, who had previously highlighted how Orang Asli groups have been forced out of their ancestral lands, reminded politicians that they should not just be addressed during election campaigns.
“The politicians appear to only be interested in environmental issues when it may help them get some votes.
“Once the election is over, it is business as usual with corporates, government departments and others only interested in how they can make money,” she said in a statement.
Sharifah Sabrina said the government should not allow these groups to be wiped off in the name of development.
“We are losing our historical communities and environmental treasures, which are far more valuable than any purported benefits from these development projects,” she said.