The Consumers Association of Penang expresses deep regret over the statement by Penang Deputy Chief Minister, Datuk Dr. Hilmy Yahaya that the proposed Penang Outer Ring Road will go on despite opposition from some quarters.

According to press reports, Dr. Hilmy said that " We will try to accommodate the public, but the project will be carried out as planned. We must also think of the majority of the people".

As an elected representative of the people of Penang, we are shocked as to how Dr. Hilmy can choose to ignore and dismiss the concerns of a growing number of citizens in Penang and public interest groups over this RM 1.2 billion project.

We are surprised to note that Dr. Hilmy is thinking about the interests of the "majority of the people" , when there has been no attempt on the part of the State Government to make public the full details of the alignment of the PORR until public pressure.

The members of the public and affected citizens were also denied any right to be consulted on the project either through the Structure Plan process or the Environmental Impact Assessment project.

Despite the project having significant environmental and social impacts, no detailed EIA was ever done, which would have merited a full scale public scrutiny and review.

There were also no studies which were disclosed to the public which justified the need for the PORR.

We are concerned that the project has been shrouded in complete secrecy, until demands were made to make the information public. Even several State Assemblymen and Members of Parliament have expressed no knowledge about the project.

How could a project with significant impacts and which involves the giving up of large areas of public land to a private company escape any public consultation and disclosure?

Was the project also awarded to Peninsular Metroworks through an open tender and in compliance with Federal Government guidelines?

These are all very important questions that have gone unanswered.

We are also concerned that Dr. Hilmy's insistence that the project must go on at all costs makes a mockery of the announcement by the Penang Chief Minister that a detailed EIA is being done for the PORR.

A detailed EIA will require public feedback and if the environmental and social impacts show that other more sustainable options should be adopted, then, the possibility of the PORR being shelved should also be on the table.

To say that the project will go on renders public feedback and consultation meaningless.

If Dr. Hilmy is concerned about the interests of the majority of the public, then he must ensure that there is complete transparency and full disclosure as regards the project.

Many citizens and groups have expressed concern not for the sake of simply opposing the PORR, but out of a genuine concern that the social, environmental and economic costs of this project are way too high for an option that does not have long term benefits.

We cannot accept Dr. Hilmy's mere assurance that the Government has always ensured minimum impact on the environment and the public in carrying out any infrastructure projects.

Only full public disclosure, transparency and genuine effort at seeking public feedback on the part of the State Government will inspire such confidence.

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S.M.Mohamed Idris,
President