Standing up to defend Penang’s fishing community

MALAYSIANSKINI | No one could imagine that a fisherman would take on the state government and succeed in blocking its ambitious plans to develop the Penang south coast.

But Zakaria Ismail (above) made history when he challenged the environmental impact assessment (EIA) approval for the controversial Penang South Islands (PSI) reclamation project at the Appeals Board level.

The EIA, which has now been revoked by the Department of Environment (DOE), was initially approved on June 25, 2019, by the department's director-general, but Zakaria, 64, who hails from a generation of fisherfolk from Sungai Batu, has protested against the project further back - since 2016.

The fishing community was alarmed over the state's plan to build three artificial islands at the southern coast of Penang to help fund the state's ambitious Penang Transport Master Plan.

Spanning 1,821ha (equivalent to the size of about 2,550 football fields), the islands will see industrial zones, tourist attractions, education hubs and housing projects, including affordable housing.

Zakaria was almost in tears when the appeals board supported his appeal, based on the Environmental Quality Act 1974...