Pangkor folk object to special area plan, mull protest
Pulau Pangkor residents have today vehemently objected to a special area development plan that will be carried out on the island by the Perak state government as well as Putrajaya.
Jawatankuasa Kemajuan Pembangunan Pulau Pangkor, an NGO representing fisherfolk and the local community on the island, asserted that the project will not benefit the locals but instead will affect their future.
Pulau Pangkor residents have today vehemently objected to a special area development plan that will be carried out on the island by the Perak state government as well as Putrajaya.
Jawatankuasa Kemajuan Pembangunan Pulau Pangkor, an NGO representing fisherfolk and the local community on the island, asserted that the project will not benefit the locals but instead will affect their future.
Pointing out that no consultation was made with the residents and relevant industry players, the NGO divulged plans to take it to the streets if the government did not halt the project immediately.
Its chairperson Beh Hong Gi pointed out that the land reclamation of 7.75 hectares - a major part of the proposal - will result in the mass eviction of the locals, who have called the island their home for over four generations.
“The purpose of this (mass eviction) is to create new lands on Pulau Pangkor for the development of shopping centres, duty-free zones, and other unsustainable tourist attractions, which risk becoming a white elephant project.
“These areas, which have long been home to native residents, are also the centre of fishing and seafood processing that has become a unique icon for the island. Such development will not give any sustainable benefits to the people of Pulau Pangkor.
“Although we appreciate the government’s efforts to bring development to the island for the future of the residents, the project will erase the identity of Pulau Pangkor,” Hong Gi said in a press conference held at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall today.
The 42-year-old also highlighted that the project will cause environmental destruction due to the reclassification of 644.6 hectares of permanent forest reserves for development purposes.
“It is evident that the plan proposed by the federal and state governments was drafted without sufficient consideration of various economic and environmental issues,” he said.
He added that residents and local industry players were left in the dark as the authorities did not organise engagement sessions on the RM799 million mega project.
Why disturb Pulau Pangkor?
Mohamad Shamsul Izwan Sulaiman, representing the Pangkor fishing and tourism industry, shared similar sentiments.
“There needs to be a two-way discussion! There haven’t been discussions with the stakeholders regarding this project and no involvement of the local population,” the 42-year-old said.
Shamsul also slammed the government for disrupting the livelihood of the fisherfolk.
“Why do they have to disturb Pulau Pangkor? It’s home to the locals and there’s where the fishing industry is at.
“They should instead upgrade the fishing villages and the jetties to make it more attractive for visitors.”
Affecting local jobs, businesses
The taskforce’s vice-chairperson Yvonne Beh expressed concerns that over 40 shophouses and 18 marine product processing facilities will be demolished if the project proceeds.
This, Yvonne said, will also affect 50 percent of the anchovy entrepreneurs on the island and the whole of Perak.
“According to the documents of the plan, the project will commence this year or latest by 2026. We are in a critical situation now.
“Since the 1950s, my ancestors started catching anchovies and became suppliers in the peninsula. But with this project, I may be the last generation,” she said.
She added that the NGO will organise a protest if the authorities do not respond to their objections.
“Our chairperson (Hong Gi) met Perak Menteri Besar Saarani Mohamad on June 10 and passed him a memorandum to object to the project... but we have yet to receive a response.
“I have also met Sandrea Ng (Perak state housing and local government committee chairperson) to hand her the memorandum but we haven’t heard from her until today.”
Malaysiakini has reached out to Saarani and Ng for comments on the matter.
