槟城南部填海计划（PSR）中第一阶段工程将于2021年第一季度动工，预计耗时4至6年完成。
槟城基础设施机构（PIC） 首 席执行员拿督斯里法力占说，槟城南部填海计划中共有3个人造岛屿，分别为A岛（2300英亩）、B岛（1400英亩）和C岛（800英亩），而明年将展开的第一阶段填海工程，则是A岛中1200英亩土地。


“我们也预计工程进展到第4年的时候，开始售卖土地。”
他是在峇东渔民服务中心（PPSN）接受《珍珠快讯》专访时，如此表示。
“整座A岛需耗时9至10年，因此工程将会分阶段进行，目前工程交付伙伴（PDP）正努力安排工程时间表，预计明年第一季度开始动工。”
他解释，槟州政府耗时6年，才于2019年6月25日获得槟岛南部填海计划的环境评估报告（EIA）的批准，惟该报告有效期为2年，即在2021年6月24日之前必须展开填海工程，否则将会失效，一切必须重头来过。
“槟州政府的初衷就是要符合所有部门的标准，并获得批准，而我们也会符合环境评估报告中附带的72项条件，而这72项中的大多数条件，必须在项目进行时实施与遵守。”

他说，计划中的3座人造岛屿，均离海岸线约250公尺，而三座岛之间也分别距离250公尺，因此渔民不会直接受到影响，依然可以进行捕鱼活动，除此之外，计划中还会建造4座渔人码头，提供更好的设施和便利。
“透过此计划，我们希望渔民也能感受到自己以及生活也能获得提升，为此州政府会视渔民的需求而提供协助，确保达到双赢的局面。”
他也透露，其中一个码头将设立于靠近峇六拜轻快铁站的最后一站，即峇东附近的黄金地段，届时游客们可以从机场乘搭轻快铁前来峇东享用海鲜。
与利益相关者建立关系
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槟州政府从2015年12月开始至2020年7月，已获得5762名利益相关者进行公众参与（Public Engagement）活动，包括渔民、居民、沙滩使用者、商业单位和养殖场经营者等人。
法力占说，一开始由于互相的不了解，而出现了一些强烈的反对声音，但随着多年来的努力，与各个单位进行接触和沟通后，彼此间已经建立了关系。
“设立于美湖与峇东的渔民服务中心，不仅仅提供关于计划的资讯，若渔夫们遇到困境及难题，该中心负责人也都提供协助，为他们解决问题。”

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本周五汇报渔民援助方案
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槟城基础设施机构（PIC）与工程交付伙伴（PDP）SRS Consortium为槟城南部填海计划下受影响渔民，所制定的援助方案进程已进入最后阶段，并将在本周五向渔民特别工作理事会（Fishermen’s Task Force Committee）汇报。
法力占说，目前渔民援助配套的拟定工作已进入尾声，本周五（4日）向由第一副首长阿末扎基尤丁进行主导的渔民特别工作理事会汇报后，希望能下星期提呈至行政议会寻求批准。
他说，渔民援助配套与受影响渔民的需求和要求有关，希望最终提案获得批准后，就可以与受影响的渔民进行有关方面的更多的接触。
自上个月8月3日接任该机构首席执行员一职后，法力占一个月内三次探访了渔民服务中心，与利益相关者和渔民进行交流，此外，他也参与了8月7日举办的社会影响管理计划（SIMP）工作坊，以解决渔民所面对的问题。
他说，有了渔民服务中心作为沟通的桥梁，渔民们再获知有关于计划的正确资讯后，比起以往，目前已更能接受这项计划。
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专注执行两大项目
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去年11月结束其8年8个月槟州秘书生涯，如今接任新职务已满一个月，询及对于新任务有何感想，法力占笑言，自接任此职后，行程非常的忙碌，每天除了必须马不停蹄但出席各种会议，了解工程的进度及需要解决的事项，还要向行政议会汇报等等。

“如今的工作对我来说更为容易，因为负责项目更直接，但同时也更具挑战，不过，我依然乐在其中，也喜欢这项工作。”
他说，PIC主要负责两大计划，即槟岛南部填海计划（PSR）以及槟城海底隧道计划及3条主要道路计划，而他本身主要的职责就是必须负责这两大工程的执行。
“虽然在担任州秘书也与这两大计划有关联，但相较于担任槟州秘书，身为槟城基础设施机构的首席执行员，在这两大项目上会更为专注和直接，并需要进行决策及执行工作。”
截至目前，法力占对于所执掌的任务还在掌握之中，他坦言，在任职期间的最大的愿景就是能够交付这两大项目（Deliver the project）。

Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) is expected to make one final 25 basis point (bps) cut in the Overnight Policy Rate (OPR) as early as in the central bank’s next Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting on Sept 10, 2020 in anticipation of an arduous economic recovery path ahead, DBS Group said today.
DBS senior economist Irvin Seah and strategist Duncan Tan wrote in a note that there is room for further monetary easing to support economic growth in the coming months.
“Onshore IRS (interest rate swap) markets are pricing ~70-80% chance for one last BNM rate cut (25bps) of this easing cycle, either to occur at the Sept 10 or Nov 3 meeting. This would mean BNM hitting our estimate of the policy lower bound of 1.5%, by the end of the year.
“Note (that) BNM had cut the OPR by a total of 125bps year-to-date to 1.75% to complement the equally robust fiscal measures aimed at buffering the economy from the impact of the pandemic. But with growth surprising on the downside and an arduous recovery path ahead notwithstanding, there is room for further monetary easing to support growth in the coming months.
“As such, we now expect one final 25bps cut by BNM as early as in the forthcoming September meeting, to better align the risks in both inflation and growth,” Seah and Tan said.
According to them, Malaysia’s real gross domestic product (GDP) growth contracted by a sharp 17.1% in the second quarter of 2020 (2Q20) from a year earlier. In quarterly terms, they said 2Q20 GDP dropped 51.3% from 1Q20.
They said beyond the direct impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the health front and strong external headwinds resulting from a slump in global demand, the implementation of Malaysia’s Movement Control Order (MCO) to curb the spread of the pandemic is the main factor behind the 2Q20 growth downturn.
“The downside surprise in 2Q GDP growth has significantly lowered the growth trajectory for the full year. The anticipated turnaround in the third and fourth quarter may not be enough to offset the sharp second quarter decline.
“Headline GDP growth will remain stuck in negative territory for the rest of the year. We have thus lowered our 2020 full year GDP growth forecast to -5.5%, which is at the lower end of the official forecast range of -5.5% to – 3.5%, and the lowest since the Asian Financial Crisis, (during) which the economy contracted by 7.4% in 1998. However, with the low base this year and the global recovery that is currently underway, albeit slowly, we see (Malaysia’s) GDP growth rebounding to 6.0% in 2021,” they said.
Malaysia’s disinflationary pressure is seen building up and the nation’s negative output gap is seen widening amid recessionary economic conditions. Seah and Tan said today even though inflation, as measured by the consumer price index (CPI), has recovered to -1.3% in July, the headline number is expected to remain stuck in negative level for the rest of 2020.
Full year (2020) inflation is projected to average -1.1% before rebounding to 1.8% in 2021, they said.
Source: EdgeProp.my

The works on the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project are expected to begin first quarter of next year.
Penang Infrastructure Corporation Sdn Bhd (PICSB) chief executive officer Datuk Seri Farizan Darus said the implementation works of Island A would be the first to start.
“The scheduled reclamation works will be done in phases. The first phase involves reclaiming 1,200 acres of Island A.
“Phase One is expected to take about four years to complete,” Farizan told Buletin Mutiara at the stakeholders’ engagement centre (Pusat Perkhidmatan Setempat Nelayan), off Permatang Damar Laut today.
The tri-islands PSR project (Island A, B and C) will be located at the south-end of the Penang island, measuring a total of 4,500 acres in land size. Island A will be 2,300 acres in size, Island B will be 1,400 acres and Island C will be 800 acres.
Farizan said that it would take about nine years to fully reclaim Island A.
“We expect to be able to start selling by the fourth year,” he said.
The PICSB is the special purpose vehicle that will be leading the implementation of the mega projects under the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP).
PICSB was successfully incorporated on July 9 this year.
The company will be working on the implementation of mega projects in the state, such as the Bayan Lepas LRT (BL LRT), Pan Island Link 1 and 2A (PIL 1 and PIL 2A) and the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) that have been entrusted to SRS Consortium as the project delivery partner.
PICSB will also be working on the implementation of the three highways and the undersea tunnel projects that are entrusted to the Consortium Zenith Construction (CZC) Sdn Bhd as the design and built contractor.
In addition, the PICSB will be involved in the planning and development of the PSR, which include the topside development.
Farizan said that it has been the state’s intention to meet the conditions set by Department of Environment (DoE) for the PSR project.
“Some conditions have to be complied prior to the implementation of the project. Others will have to be complied during the implementation of the project.
“We have to start the project before June 24 next year (2021). The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report of the PSR was approved by the DoE on June 25, 2019, with 72 conditions to be complied with,” he said, adding that the EIA approval has a two-year validity period.
Stakeholders engagement
Over 5,000 people have been engaged since December 2015 to July this year.
Farizan said that various parties have been engaged over the years; such as fishermen, beach users, business operators and even hatchery operators.
“A total of 5,762 people has been engaged. The stakeholders can get updated and correct information pertaining to the PSR project from the stakeholders’ engagement centres,” he said.
There are currently two centres available – one in Permatang Damar Laut and the other in Gertak Sanggul.
Better facilities, brighter future
Farizan said that the fishermen would not be ‘directly’ impacted by the land reclamation.
“The reclamation works will not be done from the shore onwards. Instead, it will be done 250m away from the shore (seaward), allowing a 250m water channel for the fishermen to conduct fishing activities and to navigate towards the deeper end of the sea.
“There will also be a 250m channel between Island A, B and C.
“We try to cater to the requests of the fishermen to ensure a win-win situation. The fishermen can go out to sea and continue their fishing activities despite the reclamation works,” he said.
SRS Consortium deputy project director Azmi Mohamad said the 250m water channel proposal was considered after taking into consideration the hydraulic studies and reports that were approved by the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID).
SRS Consortium strategic communications and stakeholder management department head Audrey Lakai said that the company had proposed to provide a total of four fishermen jetties to assist the fishermen units affected by the reclamation works.
Farizan said that one of the jetties would be located near the proposed Bayan Lepas LRT station in Permatang Damar Laut.
“It is a prime location and it has a huge potential. Travellers using the Bayan Lepas LRT can hop off at the LRT station in Permatang Damar Laut and enjoy a nice seafood cuisine before heading to their next destination.
“We hope to provide better facilities to uplift the livelihood of the fishermen and the communities living in the area with the implementation of the PSR project,” Farizan said.
He added that it is important for the PSR project to materialise as it is the funding model of the PTMP.
Source: Buletin Mutiara