GEORGE TOWN – The ongoing reclamation works for the Silicon Island project on the southern coast of Penang Island did not involve any land acquisition, as they were carried out in open sea areas, the state assembly was told today.
State Infrastructure, Transport and Digital executive councillor Zairil Khir Johari explained that land acquisition was only carried out for the Pan Island Link 2A (PIL2A) highway project, which connects the artificial island to Batu Maung, with acquisitions taking place at Permatang Damar Laut.
Zairil said the process involved 13 land lots, 17 houses, two business premises, a welfare home, and a house of worship. The acquisitions were approved and gazetted by state authorities on May 8 and July 11 last year, respectively, under Section 8 of the Land Acquisition Act 1960.
All owners and interested parties of the affected land, structures, and buildings have been compensated accordingly, following a thorough evaluation process conducted by the Valuation and Property Services Department (JPPH) in a joint investigation with the district land administrator last December.
“The total amount of compensation involved in this PIL2A project is RM24,154,948.73, while ex gratia payments amounted to RM130,500,” said Zairil in the state assembly.
“A majority of interested parties received RM1.5 million in compensation each, while three individuals received RM43,500 in ex gratia payments each.”
He was responding to Muhamad Kasim (Teluk Bahang-PN), who asked about the progress of the Silicon Island project, the number of residents affected by the land acquisition, and the amount of compensation paid to them.
On the project’s progress, Zairil said that as of April 30 this year, 60.7 acres of land had been reclaimed – 6.5% of the 930 ha required – since works began in September 2023.
The reclamation is expected to take 10 to 15 years to complete.
It is being carried out in two phases: Phase 1 involves reclaiming 509 ha of land, and Phase 2 will cover the remaining 420 ha.
Zairil added that the contractor handling Phase 1 of the reclamation has an adequate sand stockpile and holds its own sand concessions in other states.
Silicon Island will host the high-technology Green Tech Park (GTP), a global business services and software hub (GBS Campus), commercial developments, housing, and green recreational areas. The project is expected to generate RM1.1 trillion in GDP, RM74.7 billion in investments, and create 220,000 job opportunities.
Additionally, the island will be home to one of the 21 stations on the Mutiara Line light rail transit (LRT) project. – May 20, 2025