00:00A geospatial expert has cautioned that a new 2.4 billion ringgit coastal highway linking
00:08Tanjung Bunga to Batu Feringgi and Teluk Bahang might negatively impact Penang's fragile hill
00:14ecosystem.
00:15Kam Swan Peng, coordinator of Penang Hills Watch, said the poor water drainage on the
00:20highway, also known as North Coast Paired Road, could lead to landslides and flooding.
00:26She said the 10.61-kilometre road would cut across multiple rivers and tributaries, disrupting
00:33natural drainage patterns that help stabilise the hills.
00:37Meanwhile, environmental group Sahabat Alam Malaysia claimed that NCPR was a reckless
00:42project that prioritises private development interests over the environment.
00:47Its president, Meenakshi Raman, said the road would be built through the hills that should
00:51have been protected under environmental laws.
00:55The NCPR, a component of the Penang Undersea Tunnel and Roads Project, aims to reduce travel
01:00time from Tanjung Bunga to Teluk Bahang from 45 minutes to just seven minutes.
