The dormitories at Teluk Kumbar will have a total of more than 30,000 beds, dwarfing the 15,000 population there, the protesting groups have claimed.
Politicians from both sides of the divide were also present at the gathering, saying the project, next to houses in the small fishing town, would cause problems for the residents.
Former Umno assemblyman Farid Saad said traffic in already congested Teluk Kumbar would worsen as factory buses would have to use the narrow roads in the area.
“How are people going to sleep in peace when you have buses driving past at 4.30am? If the government finds it acceptable, then we should insist that the chief minister and exco members stay here to prove their point,” he said.
Farid said the dormitories should be built within the industrial zones, and asked why the city council approved the project when the local assemblymen and MP had objected to it.
Parti Rakyat Malaysia’s Ravinder Singh said the coastal road connecting Teluk Kumbar with Bayan Lepas was already bogged down with heavy traffic during peak hours, with motorists needing at least 90 minutes to clear the 11km stretch to the second Penang Bridge exit.
“Why can’t they build the dormitories in Seberang Perai and take the bridge to the island instead? The bridge trip is only 30 minutes,” he said.
Idiris Saleh, a former vice-chancellor of Universiti Sains Malaysia, said flooding the area with of migrant workers would not help boost the economy.
“There would be billions of ringgit in outflows from remittances,” he said.
A resident, who only wanted to be known as Marzitah, claimed that women were being harassed by migrant workers already staying in the area.
“Some are afraid to even walk to the mosque for Subuh prayers because the men will be out there waiting for their buses,” she said.
Penang assembly deputy speaker Azrul Mahathir Aziz, who is also the Pakatan Harapan assemblyman for Bayan Lepas, said he had objected to the project in 2020.
According to the 2010 census, Teluk Kumbar is 77.4% Malay, followed by Chinese at 20%, foreigners 1.85% and Indians, 0.5%. Most people in the area are employed in the fishing industry.
FMT has reached out to the offices of the mayor and the chief minister for comment.