More fisherfolk signing up for social benefits of PSI project

GEORGE TOWN: More fishermen near the reclamation site of the state government’s Penang South Island (PSI) project are signing up to receive benefits under the project’s Social Impact Management Plan (SIMP).

After Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow announced on Sept 1 that reclamation works would start the same day, fishermen have started visiting the Fishermen’s One-Stop Service Centre (PPSN) to register for incentives and benefits under the SIMP.

Within three months since the approval of the Environmental Management Plan (EMP), 70% of Tier 1 and 47.4% of Tier 2 fishermen in the southern part of Penang island have registered, compared with 56.6% (Tier 1) and 17.1% (Tier 2) in the more than two years since the SIMP was announced in early 2021.

Rosli Din, 58, from Permatang Tepi Laut, which is nearest to the PSI site, said he looked forward to getting the ex-gratia and a boat measuring 8.23m (27ft) with a more powerful engine.

“With a larger boat and a more powerful engine, I will have no worries about going further out to catch fish. My current boat is old and smaller.

“The ex-gratia will go into my savings for the future,” Rosli said when met at PPSN after he registered for the SIMP recently.

All southern Penang island fishermen registered with the Fisheries Department are eligible to receive the financial aid under the SIMP while the boat aid is being given to all boat owners from the Permatang Tepi Laut, Sungai Batu, Teluk Kumbar and Gertak Sanggul fishermen units.

Skipper and crewman Rohhman Darus, 63, and Hezri Muhammad, 49, from Sungai Batu, also registered earlier this month after hearing that PSI had received the EMP approval to start reclamation works.

Both of them are from one of the fishermen units that had strongly opposed the project.

“I don’t know why they want to fight it. Are they waiting for more money? Whatever the state provides, we should accept it,” Rohhman said.

He said he personally believed PSI is good for the future, and he was looking forward to taking the seafarer course under the SIMP package to upskill himself.

Hezri said registering under the SIMP was the natural thing to do since the reclamation has started.

“In the past, we were ordered (by the local fishery unit) not to go to the PPSN, but now the unit chief is silent when we ask him for updates. So, we are signing up,” said the father of three, whose daughters are also eligible to receive education support under the SIMP such as sponsored tuition fees and cash incentives for good exam results.

Mat Isa Mat Noor, 65, from the Permatang Tepi Laut, who was among the early SIMP registrants, said he and his family were very happy with the benefits.

Last year, he received a new and larger boat with a more powerful engine. He recently received 75% of his ex-gratia payment of RM15,000.

“I can use the money to buy more nets so I can catch more fish. I plan to save most of it for my retirement.

“We are very grateful for the aid. I hope the project will create more jobs for young people,” he said.

Fisherwoman Fajinah Jaafar, 62, one of the most vocal PSI supporters in the community, said neither the sea nor fishermen would disappear because of the project.

She was confident PSI would bring economic benefits and job opportunities to locals.

“We can earn side incomes and improve our standard of living,” said Fajinah, who also received a new boat and engine, and earned a seafarer’s licence last year under the SIMP.

“Fishermen who have not signed up under the SIMP should do so now before the cut-off date,” she added.