Jawatankuasa Kemajuan Pembangunan Pulau Pangkor said it does not see any benefit to the local population after having read the proposal.

“We appreciate the government’s efforts to bring development to Pulau Pangkor for the future of its residents but the proposal in the recently published document will not benefit the local population.

“Instead, it jeopardises their future and erases the identity of Pulau Pangkor,” it said in a statement.

The NGO said the 7.7ha reclamation plan at Pulau Pangkor, a significant part of the proposal, will lead to the mass displacement of the island’s residents from their homes.

“The purpose of this is to create new open land on Pulau Pangkor for the development of shopping centres, duty-free zones, and other unsustainable tourist attractions, which risk becoming white elephant projects.

“These areas, which have long been homes to native Pangkor residents, are also the centre of local fishing and seafood processing. Such development will not provide any sustainable benefit to residents,” it said.

It said the island is also one of the densest biodiversity zones in Malaysia.

“Pangkor is home to various endemic species of flora and fauna, including the wild hornbill and the green turtle.

“However, the Pulau Pangkor development plan will lead to environmental destruction due to the reclassification of 645ha of permanent forest reserve for development purposes.

“The federal and state governments should not destroy Pangkor’s natural beauty just to develop it as a generic tourist centre.

“Instead, they should improve conservation efforts for flora and fauna so that Pulau Pangkor can be developed sustainably.

“We urge the federal and state governments to reconsider this plan and to involve the residents in all future talks, so that chaotic developments like this can be avoided,” it said.