Letter to Chief Minister on Sg Pinang

29 March 2008

YAB Tuan Lim Guan Eng

Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang

Pejabat Ketua Menteri

Tingkat 28, KOMTAR

10503 Pulau Pinang

YAB,

Further to our letter to YAB on 12 March 2008 titled Water, Environment and Penang, we would further like to propose the above project which is long overdue. We at WWP would like to stress that we have proposed this project to past BN Governments but have been rejected under the excuse of lack of funds. However, as you are aware, under the Federal Government’s “One State One River” Programme, the government has been allocated RM100 million (this figure was initially reported in the press but the final figure given to Penang may differ). Despite spending this large amount of money to restore the Sg Pinang (the authorities have built a jetty for fishermen and a river water treatment plant at the Sg Pinang estuary), amongst other activities such as dredging and improving the river, the river is still as dirty as ever. This is simply because not much attention has been given to educating and sensitizing the people (public and businesses) who keep dumping garbage/untreated effluents/discharges into the river. Consequently, every tonne of garbage dredged out by the contractors is more than outpaced by two tones of garbage being dumped into the river. The authorities has not tackled the root cause of the issue, i.e. the source of all the pollution.

It is with this in mind that we propose the launching of the Sg Pinang Stakeholders’ Initiative and the Sg Pinang River Education Centre, first in Malaysia. We are confident that YAB’s government will examine this proposal with due consideration. We are all ashamed that despite being one of the most advanced states in the country, the main river that flows through Georgetown is nothing more than a raw sewer! Our proposal is attached complete with recommendations and costing. If YAB and the Penang Government needs me to explain the proposal, I will be more than happy to make a 15 minute presentation followed by Q & A.

YAB, Thank you for your attention.

Yours faithfully,

Prof Dr Chan Ngai Weng

President

012-5193355