He said the Department of Environment (DoE), which comes under the ministry, had not been officially informed of the plan, specifically regarding the 7.2km undersea tunnel project.
In a statement, he said whatever information the authorities had was based on media reports.
As such, he added, it was wrong to say that the DoE had not approved the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report for the tunnel project.
“It is not correct to say that the ministry has not approved the EIA as the ministry has no official knowledge of this project.
“The ministry strongly urges the Penang government to comply with all stipulated regulations for the commissioning of such a mega project, which will foreseeably have a great impact on the surface and subsea environments,” Wan Junaidi said.
The tunnel connecting Gurney Drive to Butterworth is expected to begin construction in 2023, if all regulatory approvals are obtained from the federal government.
Junaidi reminded the Penang government that before “mega projects” could be built, a feasibility study must be held, followed by the EIA.
Junaidi said after the EIA, the project would require approval from other agencies in his ministry, as well as the nod from the National Physical Plan Council, which is headed by the prime minister.
Penang executive councillor Chow Kon Yeow is expected to respond to Junaidi’s statement later today.
Chow had previously said Penang was a “law-abiding state” and would only begin projects with approval from the DoE.
When contacted for clarification, Junaidi said his statement was meant to serve as an advisory to Penangites, as the term “EIA” had been bandied around by the state government.
“There is so much about the EIA being mentioned and people are not sure whether it is about the EIA for the tunnel or the three roads.
“My role is to tell the public, one by one, about the project so that they will know which is which,” he said.
The undersea tunnel is one of two components of a larger RM6.3 billion project, which includes three main roads criss-crossing the island.
The tunnel’s feasibility study is reportedly 92% complete while the feasibility study for the three roads has been done. The EIA process meanwhile is in the final stages.
The 7.2km undersea tunnel will connect George Town’s Pangkor Road and Bagan Ajam in Butterworth.
The “three main roads” (formerly three paired roads) stretch from Air Itam to the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway (5.7km), Tanjung Bungah to Teluk Bahang (10.53km), and Jalan Pangkor-Gurney Drive junction to Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway (4.1km).
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