GEORGE TOWN – A barge operating at the sand rehandling station experienced stability issues near the Silicon Island project site at about 11.18am yesterday.
Silicon Island Development Sdn Bhd chairman Datuk Seri Farizan Darus said that all 11 crew members, comprising two Malaysians, one Chinese national and eight Indonesians, were rescued without injury.
He said initial assessments indicate that operational factors, including a possible issue with the discharge pipe, might have affected the hopper load during the offloading process.
“Our emergency response team was immediately deployed to the site to manage the situation, including implementing precautionary measures to contain any potential oil spillage,” he said in a statement tonight.
Farizan confirmed that the relevant authorities, including the Marine Department and the Penang Environment Department, had been notified of the incident.
He added that the project developer is extending full cooperation to all the authorities involved, while the Penang Infrastructure Corporation (PIC) would continue to monitor the situation closely.
Covering an area of 930.78 hectares, Silicon Island is a land reclamation project owned by the Penang state government – the first of its kind directly initiated by the state to secure long-term economic growth. – May 21, 2025