Kota Melaka MP Khoo Poay Tiong urged the state government and the department of environment (DOE) to immediately impose a stop-work order after environment and water minister Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man revealed that the project owners never submitted an EIA report to the DOE.
He demanded that the Melaka government explain how the project was allowed to proceed despite the fact that the EIA report was not submitted and approved.
“The failure of the Melaka Gateway project to submit an EIA report is against Section 34A of the Environmental Quality Act 2021 and the Environmental Quality (Prescribed Activities) (Environmental Impact Assessment) Order 2015,” he said in a statement.
Khoo pointed out that the EIA report must be submitted and approved by the DOE for any land reclamation involving man-made islands 50ha in size and above.
He noted that the Melaka Gateway project involved reclaiming 553ha of land in the Melaka Straits and that the projected development cost was RM42 billion.
It was also estimated to create more than 40,000 jobs, bring in 2.5 million tourists yearly, and generate RM1.19 trillion for the local economy.
“Today, the Melaka Gateway project has not only failed to deliver on its promises but has caused major environmental damage to the Melaka coastline,” he said.
“The project has badly affected the fishing communities in Bandar Hilir and Duyong. It has also affected the cultural heritage of the unique Kristang community in the Portuguese settlement.
“The project and others along the coastline have triggered erosion and disruption to the irrigation system, which have contributed to the increased frequency of flash floods in Melaka.”
He also asked why the government handed back the project to the developer, KAJ Development Sdn Bhd, although the contract had been terminated by the state government in 2020.
“The continuous lack of transparency has caused major doubt about the integrity and viability of the project,” he said.
“I will be consulting with the local communities and legal experts on the possibility of initiating legal action.”