The Protect Karpal Singh Drive Action Committee (ProtectKarpal), representing residents from multiple residential communities in the affected area, stand united in our deep concern over the proposed land reclamation project off Karpal Singh Drive, which threatens the proposed ecologically vital Middle Bank Marine Sanctuary.
Despite assurances from Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow that the project will not encroach on the sanctuary, scientific evidence and expert analysis strongly suggest otherwise.
The Penang Institute, the state’s own think tank, has published a report “Protecting Penang’s Marine Biodiversity: Establishing the Middle Bank Marine Sanctuary” emphasising the sanctuary’s ecological significance and the urgent need for its protection. Yet the chief minister’s stance contradicts its own findings.
Sanctuary of global importance
According to the report, the Middle Bank marine sanctuary spans 10 sq km in the Penang Channel and is home to 429 species, including:
- seven species of seagrass, vital for carbon storage and marine life habitats
- 139 commercial fish species, sustaining local fisheries and livelihoods
- 102 bird species, including migratory species like the endangered Far Eastern Curlew
- seven marine mammal species, such as dolphins and whales
- two turtle species
- 100 mollusc species and 23 arthropods, including critically endangered horseshoe crabs
This sanctuary is a natural defence system for Penang. Its ecosystems – seagrass beds, mudflats and mangroves – provide coastal protection, stabilise the seabed and mitigate climate change by sequestering carbon up to 40 times more effectively than forests.
It supports artisanal fisheries, purifies water and shields our shores from erosion and tsunamis, as demonstrated during the 2004 disaster.
Reclamation’s hidden dangers
The proposed project involves reclaiming 70 acres of sea using 5.2 million cubic metres of sand, perilously close to and encroaching on, the sanctuary’s boundaries.
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In fact, the developer’s own environmental impact assessment report admitted: “The project site including the proposed reclamation area is located at the middle banks…” (Page 6.35).
The reclamation site lies within or adjacent to the Middle Bank’s deep channel, as defined by Penang Institute’s research.
Image source: “Protecting Penang’s Marine Biodiversity: Establishing the Middle Bank Marine Sanctuary”, published by Penang Institute (Figure 5-1). The red line was added to approximately showing the reclamation site
Assuming that the chief minister claims of no physical encroachment is true, he also overlooks the indirect, yet devastating impacts reclamation will have on the ecosystem.
Even without direct overlap, the cascade of indirect impacts -sedimentation, habitat destruction and disrupted currents – will devastate this fragile ecosystem.
Leading marine scientists have raised critical concerns:
- Prof Aileen Tan, director of Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Centre for Marine and Coastal Studies, warns that the project’s 500-metre buffer zone will encroach on half of the Middle Bank, risking irreparable harm to the seagrass meadows.
- Dr Jilliana Ooi, a marine ecologist from the University of Malaya, explains that reclamation alters hydrodynamics, causing siltation and sedimentation that can smother seagrass beds (hydrodynamics). She notes restoration efforts have a success rate of less than 40%, rendering replanting largely ineffective.
These indirect effects – sedimentation, pollution and altered water flow – will extend beyond the project’s physical boundaries, suffocating the sanctuary’s ecosystems and result in the collapse of its biodiversity.
Science over assurances
Evidently, the chief minister’s assertion that the project poses no threat to the sanctuary is not supported by scientific evidence.
The sanctuary’s role as a global asset was underscored in 2022 with the discovery of two new sea cucumber species, Euthyonidiella zulfigaris and Acaudina spinifera. Destroying it would erase a scientific and ecological legacy.
Our call to action
We, the residents of Karpal Singh Drive, urge the state government to:
- Gazette the Middle Bank marine sanctuary: Prevent the unnecessary destruction of vital marine life and coastal habitats that are crucial for our ecological balance and future generations.
- Halt the reclamation project until a comprehensive, independent environmental impact assessment is conducted, accounting for both direct and indirect effects.
- Extend the Jelutong landfill rehabilitation timelines to 5–10 years: This would allow in-situ rehabilitation, eliminating the need for 70 acres of reclamation.
- Engage scientists, conservationists and local communities to find a balanced solution that protects Penang’s marine heritage while addressing development needs.
This is not a choice between progress and preservation – urban development and conservation can coexist. The Middle Bank sustains our fisheries, shields our shores and fights climate change. We cannot afford to lose it.
Community call to action
The committee also urges all concerned citizens to:
- Submit feedback on the environmental impact assessment report
- Join the Protect Karpal Singh Drive WhatsApp group to exchange ideas, stay informed and take action.
- Visit the website to get more information.
- Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
- Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
- Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
- Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
- Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
