The Penang government will give the developer of the proposed Jelutong landfill redevelopment project one final opportunity to fulfil environmental requirements before deciding on the project’s future, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said.
The developer for the RM1 billion Jelutong landfill rehabilitation and coastal reclamation project in Penang is PLB Engineering Berhad. They were awarded the project under a joint development agreement signed in 2020 with the Penang Development Corporation (PDC).
Chow said negotiations with PLB Engineering remain ongoing, particularly over compliance with conditions required to secure Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approval from the Department of Environment (DOE).
“The exchange of letters is still ongoing. The state government has conveyed its decision, the developer has responded, and we will now provide a final period for the company to meet the outstanding requirements,” he said.
According to Chow, the state government and the developer have exchanged correspondence on five occasions to ensure compliance with the DOE’s requirements.
He noted that the regulatory process has become increasingly complex as additional environmental conditions have been introduced over time.
Chow acknowledged that some of the additional requirements would require considerable time and effort to fulfil, making compliance challenging for the developer.
“Some of these new conditions take time to comply with and may not be easy to implement. That is one of the challenges we are facing,” he said.
However, he stressed that the state government intends to bring the prolonged matter to a conclusion after having granted several extensions.
Should the developer fail to satisfy the outstanding requirements within the final timeframe, Chow said the state government would consider alternative options for the site..
The Jelutong landfill redevelopment has been one of Penang’s long-running urban regeneration projects, with environmental compliance remaining a key prerequisite before redevelopment can proceed.
