Malaysia: Special committee to monitor Penang projects

• PENANG will form a special emergency action committee to handle all components under the ambitious MYR46bn Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP), Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said.
• He told the state legislative assembly this morning that the committee will be made up of enforcement and safety agencies like the Environmental Department, Department of Occupational Safety and Health, police, Fire and Rescue Department, local council and other relevant technical parties.
• The committee will monitor and ensure the emergency response plan is followed when the components are implemented, he said.
• Meanwhile, investors in the Bayan Lepas industrial zone are backing the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) plan, saying it will boost the economy amid criticism that it will destroy the environment.
• State investment arm Penang Development Corporation, which developed the existing Bayan Lepas free trade zone (FTZ) in 1972, said the expansion was “important and necessary” as existing multinationals there sought to expand operations.
• State investment promotion agency investPenang is also counting on PSR’s Island A to sell Penang as a choice investment destination.
• In its statement, investPenang listed proximity to the airport and the vibrancy of the island as reasons many investors prefer Bayan Lepas to Penang’s mainland.
• The PSR project, which funds the state’s ambitious Penang Transport Master Plan, was recently presented to the National Physical Planning Committee, which has agreed to its implementation. It has yet to pass the environmental impact assessment (EIA) stage.

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