State local government, traffic management and flood mitigation committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said they could not go into details just yet regarding the issue of compensation.
“We cannot say how much money they are going to get yet. It is definitely still too early to talk about it when the project is not even approved yet.
“We ask the people to be patient for now while we seek approval for the development,” he said.
However Chow said the state government had begun the job of registering the names of fishermen while surveys were being conducted to assess how the community would be affected.
During a dialogue on the project and its environmental impact assessment (EIA) report today, fishermen affected by the PSR project asked about their compensation.
The project will see three man-made islands built off the coast of Permatang Damar Laut, Gertak Sanggul, Sungai Batu and Teluk Kumbar in the south of Penang.
Although the EIA report states that fishermen in the area will still have access to the sea and therefore not lose their source of income, the community was worried all the same that their livelihoods would be jeopardised and their village homes affected once the project was up and running.
Some cited the fate of fishermen affected by past reclamation projects in the northern and eastern coasts of Penang Island, which they said had badly affected their fishing grounds.
Speaking to the press after the dialogue, Chow said the people’s views would be taken into account and that the PSR project was a state project, not a private project like other reclamation projects.
“The state is not exempted from following the law. We will comply with all the requirements set by the authorities.
“We will also take note of the recommendations by our consultants in the EIA, and work with the fisheries department and fishermen’s association to address the compensation and resettlement issues and concerns,” he said.
Reclamation, Chow said, is not new in Penang and there were formulas for compensation.
“We will look at the baseline and factors to determine the compensation packages,” he said.
He said based on a survey by the panel of experts on existing fishing grounds off the southern coast, fishermen were already catching fish in waters beyond where the three proposed artificial islands would be located.
He also said the community’s response to the project now was more contained and less emotional, compared to when the project was newly announced.
“They are more willing to listen now,” he said, referring to a survey by consultants in June that found 40.5% of fishermen interviewed accepted the project, a big jump from only 3.5% in January.
He also said there would be more meetings with fishermen and the public to inform them of the project, which was necessary for Penang’s growth and to fund its multibillion ringgit Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP).
Earlier at the dialogue that was attended by nearly a thousand people, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the state would do its best to compensate those affected.
He said 30% of the jobs in the reclamation project – such as site supervisors, boatmen, skilled labourers, construction workers and general workers – would be reserved for fishermen and locals in the area.
Lim also said the development would be green and sustainable so there would be a future for fishermen and jobs for those who no longer wanted to live off the sea.
There would also be public housing and affordable homes among other facilities built on the three man-made islands, he said, adding, “For the future, what we imagine for Penang is a green and modern home.
“We are trying to find meeting points. We are ready to listen to everyone’s feedback…our approach is a win-win formula.
“It is important too that people in this area not be left out of Penang’s growth and progress.”
Lim said it was undeniable that the PSR project would have an impact on the people, but the state would do its best to minimise it.