Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) said it was “outraged” that the department of environment approved the project’s environmental impact assessment (EIA) report, adding that certain aspects of PSI’s impact were left out of the findings.

“One important aspect that was omitted was the impact of sourcing for sand and other fill materials, like rocks,” it said in a statement.

SAM said as the proposed project spanned a total area of 4,500 acres (1,821ha), it would require an estimated 207 million cubic metres of fill material.

“Our call that the environmental impact of sourcing the sand and rocks must be included as cumulative impacts of the PSI-related activities was also negated.”

Earlier today, the PSI project, which had received fierce opposition from fishermen, environmentalists and the G25 group of prominent retired civil servants, was given the final approval by federal environmental regulators.

Penang chief minister Chow Kon Yeow said the approval was given by the natural resources, environment and climate change ministry with 71 conditions under an elaborate environmental management plan.

He said the 71 conditions included the social impact management plan and an ecology offset master plan.

The RM10 billion reclamation project is a state government initiative to finance the RM46 billion Penang Transport Master Plan through the reclamation of the three islands covering 1,620ha off Permatang Damar Laut.

Chow said that with the letter of approval dated April 11, Penang was set to reclaim all three islands under PSI, although work would only begin on the first island on the coast next to the Bayan Lepas airport runway.

“We are disappointed that the new government is ignoring food security, environmental integrity and the actual scale of negative and long-term impacts caused by the reclamation.

“SAM will continue to maintain our stand against the project. The state and federal governments are exacerbating environmental and social injustice by proceeding with the reclamation project,” the group said.