The plan is currently at the town planning stage, where the state government is required to incorporate the proposed reclaimed land into a development blueprint.
That blueprint, the Penang Structure Plan 2030, will serve as the foundation for future city council approvals if planning permission is sought for the reclamation.
FMT has learnt that the reclamation area is being earmarked at the behest of the Penang Development Corporation (PDC), a state agency, to create more space for semiconductor-related manufacturing.
The proposed reclamation area spans from Sungai Dua’s coast through Bayan Baru and the free industrial zone (FIZ), extending slightly past the second bridge, according to a handout from the state town and country planning department (PlanMalaysia).
Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) president Meenakshi Raman said the final date for public objections to the project was Dec 24.
She said she only discovered this deadline when the call for objections was advertised in the back pages of a newspaper over the weekend.
“The notice period was too short – Nov 25 to Dec 24 – and many people were away for the holidays. There was also minimal publicity, which goes against the spirit of the Town and Country Planning Act 1976,” she said.
Meenakshi said a project of such magnitude should have been announced with greater transparency.
“Instead of burying this in an obscure part of the newspaper, why couldn’t the state government hold a press conference?”
Meenakshi said she had written to PlanMalaysia, requesting an extension of the objection period and calling for public forums to ensure transparency.
In response, PlanMalaysia director Rozita Hamid said the plans were published for public viewing in accordance with the law.
Rozita said they had advertised the project in local newspapers and the Dec 20 announcement in The Star newspaper was their third and last one.
However, she confirmed that the state government had agreed to extend the objection period by another month to allow SAM and others to submit their views.
According to PDC’s 2022 annual report, the reclamation is part of a waterfront development project that will take 10 years to complete.
The project will cover 68ha, stretching from Queensbay to the second bridge, and will include office buildings, a convention centre, shops, a hotel, and a research and development centre.
In June 2020, FMT reported on a related 20ha reclamation project near the FIZ, branded as the “Linear Waterfront”.
Estimated at RM1 billion, the plan envisions four oblong-shaped reclaimed islands connected to the mainland.
Chief minister Chow Kon Yeow said the Linear Waterfront project would expand the electronics-driven FIZ while establishing a world-class township. The project also includes waterfront resorts, hotels, medical facilities and mixed-use developments.
He had said the project was important to enhance Penang’s industrial and tourism sectors.
This reclamation adds to Penang’s list of ongoing projects, including the 510ha reclamation for Island A, the 307ha Seri Tanjung Pinang 2 and the proposed 650ha reclamation off Bagan Ajam in Butterworth.
Chow had said these initiatives aimed to boost Penang’s economy while increasing the state’s landbank.