15/05/2026

FRIDAY | MAY 15, 2026

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Ű BY T.C. KHOR newsdesk@thesundaily.com

PAC urged to probe RM1b Jelutong landfill rehab project

GEORGE TOWN: The Protect Karpal Singh Drive Action Committee (ProtectKarpal) has lodged a complaint with the Penang Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to investigate whether procurement principles were followed in the RM1 billion Jelutong landfill rehabilitation project. The group alleged that the original proposal did not contain any reclamation component. The project involves the rehabilitation of a former landfill near Karpal Singh Drive through a joint venture between the Penang government, Penang Development Corporation (PDC) and PLB Engineering Bhd. The project also includes a proposed coastal reclamation and mixed development component, potentially endangering the Middle Bank, the only seagrass meadow in the Penang Strait. ProtectKarpal chairman Dr K Ganesh said it is seeking a PAC probe because it does not have access to the full Joint Development Agreement (JDA). “We are asking the state government to give us the JDA. We don’t have access to it, so now we are asking PAC to probe,” he told theSun . Ganesh said the group wanted the PAC to determine whether the addition of the reclamation component breached procurement

o Environmental group questions how it evolved into major reclamation plan without fresh tender after repeated DOE rejections

up session of the Penang State Legislative Assembly sitting on Wednesday. H’ng said gazetting Middle Bank as a marine sanctuary and an environmentally sensitive area could have legal implications and potentially hamper development planning for the landfill project, which is located within 500m of the area. However, he said the state government was of the view that gazettement should be implemented strategically, taking into account major development projects nearby such as the mixed-development and port expansion plans that are important to the state’s economy. The group also asked the PAC to obtain the full JDA, all extension of-time approvals, EIA-related documents and DOE rejection letters. ProtectKarpal further urged the PAC to investigate repeated extensions of time granted to the project after the failed EIA applications. On June 24 last year, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow reportedly said no extension would be granted if the project failed to secure environmental approval by Feb 26 this year. However, on May 8, ProtectKarpal urged the Penang government to reject any request for another extension after the deadline passed. It said granting further time would contradict Chow’s earlier pledge and called on the state government to publicly explain its position before the matter is discussed by the state executive council on May 20.

procedures or public tender principles. The group, he said, submitted the letter to state PAC chairman Fauzi Yusoff, who is also the state opposition leader, outside the Penang state assembly on Wednesday. ProtectKarpal claimed the revised 2016 tender proposal did not contain coastal reclamation, but the component later appeared in the 2020 JDA before expanding it to 28.3ha in the project’s 2025 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) submission. According to the group, the JDA signed in February 2020 required an EIA, Traffic Impact Assessment and Social Impact Assessment within 18 months. However, the project has since received multiple time extensions after failing to secure environmental approval. The project has become increasingly contentious after the

GEORGE TOWN: The Jelutong landfill rehabilitation project is continuing despite the DOE rejecting the EIA report in March. State Local Government and Town and Country Planning Committee chairman H’ng Mooi Lye said the EIA rejection was not final, but instead required improvements and compliance with technical comments set by the DOE. He said the state government views the project important as it would address existing safety and pollution issues, including fire risks, gas emissions, leachate and instability of the landfill site. “Any approval for an extension of time for this project will be subject to the consideration and approval of the State Executive Council. “Although development in the area is continuing, the core area of Middle Bank remains protected, with all nearby projects required to comply with strict conditions,” he said during the winding He also said the project fell under a “first schedule” EIA category, which normally does not require public display, but the DOE had initially insisted on one. “That’s why we got to know the contents of the first EIA submitted.” On Wednesday, ProtectKarpal announced that it had filed a formal complaint with the Penang PAC over the Jelutong landfill rehabilitation and reclamation project. In the complaint, the group asked the PAC to investigate how a project which allegedly contained no reclamation component in the original proposal later evolved into a reclamation plan without a fresh public tender exercise.

Department of Environment (DOE) reportedly rejected the project’s EIA five times. Ganesh claims the group has also been unable to obtain the reasons behind the repeated rejections. He said ProtectKarpal met DOE officers about three weeks ago but was told that the EIA report could not be disclosed. “They said the EIA report is private and confidential and they can’t disclose the reason for rejection since it is still in the application process.” Ganesh said the group is now asking the state government to release the rejection letters and the grounds cited by the DOE.

State govt presses on with ‘controversial’ venture

The proposed project involves excavation and rehabilitation works, as well as reclaiming the adjacent coastal area north of the Penang Bridge. A mixed-development project will then be carried out on the reclaimed land. – Bernama RM22m boost for Malacca healthcare sector

PERODUA PREVIEW ... Japanese Ambassador to Malaysia Noriyuki Shikata (in blue) viewing the vehicle production line at the Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd plant in Rawang during a visit highlighting Malaysia–Japan cooperation in the automotive sector. – BERNAMAPIC

Fisheries Dept monitors Sungai Juru pollution GEORGE TOWN: The Penang Fisheries Department conducted resampling at Sungai Kuala Juru in Bukit Mertajam to monitor critical parameters, including biotoxins, heavy metals and water quality. marine fishermen and aquaculture operators. It added that monitoring is also underway at seven siakap fish and white prawn farms covering 72.69ha, along with a detailed assessment to determine the economic impact and estimated losses for follow-up action.

ALOR GAJAH: Malacca has allocated more than RM22 million under the state budget to strengthen its healthcare sector over a three-year period, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh. He said the move was in line with the state government’s priority to enhance the healthcare service and delivery system for the people, as well as the welfare of healthcare workers who form the backbone of the sector. “The development of the state’s health sector cannot be taken lightly as our healthcare system is facing various pressures, from the growing number of patients and disease prevalence to increasingly high expectations on the quality of health services. “Therefore, the state government does not want the health sector in Malacca to simply‘survive’, but to be among the most trusted by the people,” he said at the Santunan Seuntai Kasih, Semekar

Legasi Warga Kesihatan programme for the Masjid Tanah parliamentary constituency here on Wednesday night. He said that during the three-year period, more than 87 health clinics throughout Malacca, including 13 health and rural clinics in the Masjid Tanah parliamentary constituency, had been upgraded to provide comfort and quality treatment for the people. Ab Rauf said the Women and Children’s Block of Malacca Hospital would also be built this year as a major step to strengthen the state’s healthcare capacity for the future. He also expressed gratitude to the federal government for approving the construction of the Armed Forces Hospital at Terendak Camp, which he said would greatly benefit security personnel and their families. – Bernama

In a statement, the department said the immediate action on Wednesday followed reports of pollution and water quality disruption that could threaten local fisheries and aquaculture. “This resampling aims to ensure the safety of fisheries products and support more comprehensive, data-driven pollution trend analysis. “Sungai Kuala Juru is a key seafood production zone in Penang, with a 567ha cockle farming area spanning 27 active lots,” the statement read. The department also noted that the disruption has affected the welfare of 209

Meanwhile, Penang Fisheries director Azimah Jumatli said the department is focusing on field monitoring, technical assessments and ongoing support to minimise the impact on fishermen’s and farmers’ incomes. “We are carrying out further analysis to distinguish potential sources of organic pollution. Joint lab tests are also being conducted with the Fisheries Research Institute in Batu Maung and the Selangor Fisheries Biosecurity Centre.” – Bernama