Drop southern reclamation initiative: Sungai Dua rep
GEORGE TOWN: Barisan Nasional (BN) has asked the DAP-led state government to consider dropping the South Reclamation Scheme (SRS) initiative.
Sungai Dua assemblyman Muhamad Yusoff Mohd Noor, who is tipped to be the state opposition leader, said BN has always opposed reclamation as, based on past experiences, it could cause untold damage to the ecology.
“And we are unsure of the long-term prognosis of such massive reclamation to the island,” said Yusoff on the sidelines of the PTMP briefing.
He said the federal and state governments can surely find an alternative to fund the project instead of relying on reclamation for funding.
Yusoff said the proposed LRT and Pan Island Link highway should be privatised similar to how the North-South Expressway was built where the concessionaire gets to collect toll to underwrite the costs and to maintain the infrastructure.
Similarly, the proposed RM6.3 billion cross-channel undersea tunnel can be built without the developer being paid through land swaps.
Yusoff said the reclamation is causing unease to fishermen and their families.
He also said the state must adopt development policies which do not end up affecting the environment and the local inhabitants.
Bukit Tengah assemblyman Gooi Hsiao Leung pointed out that the earlier Halcrow study had proposed seven tram linkages but only one was adopted by the masterplan.
SRS Consortium project director Eric Szeto Wai Hoong explained that the Halcrow study had proposed public transport alternatives but did not expand on the funding capacity as well as on addressing the long-term challenges.