Chow said he spent one-and-a-half hours listening to the residents at an engagement session earlier today, which was also attended by a consultant in charge of the social impact assessment for the project.

He said the consultant will consider the views, criticisms, and suggestions of the residents and the stakeholders involved.

“This project has not only received attention, but also objections from residents because they do not like to have projects such as housing for foreign workers in their area. However, it is a necessity.

“Earlier, I expressed my confidence that we will continue to draw in investments. (For that) we have created jobs for both the local people as well as foreign workers, who need accommodation.

“That is the challenge we face,” he said at Penang DAP’s Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house here this evening.

The project has been opposed since November 2024 by a committee representing residents in Juru, who expressed concerns over safety, traffic congestion, a decrease in the quality of life, and increased pollution.

At the session, the committee’s chairman, Wahid Othman, said they had attended a focus group discussion on the issue with the developer and state government representatives, as well as a meeting with Chow at Komtar in December last year.

He said while a traffic impact assessment had purportedly been approved, it should be considered purely as technical input requiring the support of a more thorough social impact assessment.

This ocial impact assessments should look at the project’s cumulative impact on the community, residential density, and pressure on public facilities, among others.

Wahid also said the committee and several representatives of residents’ associations in Juru had filed 20 memorandums opposing the project since 2024.

“This shows that the issue has been continuously scrutinised at the community level, which merits consideration in the social impact assessment,” he said.