GEORGE TOWN, April 18 — The Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (Petra) has approved an RM61 million allocation to restore the popular tourist destination of Batu Ferringhi. The project is aimed at reviving a 7km stretch of beachfront from Batu Ferringhi to Tanjung Bungah, which has been eroded, impacting the zone’s ability to support beach activities.
Deputy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir added that the conservation effort would reverse erosion impacts and preserve the sandy beach’s appeal. “The condition of the beaches has worsened, and it is difficult to plan activities along the stretch,” he said at the Paramount Fishermen’s Unit jetty.
Rehabilitation will also ensure that beachfront beauty will not be devastated in the process. “We cannot utilize colossal mounds of rocks to halt erosion, for this will demolish the looks of the beach,” Akmal emphasized. Restoring the shore will entail restocking the sand, with the project scheduled to begin this year once ideas of restoration are agreed on. The entire process will be undertaken by the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID).
Funded under the Fifth Rolling Plan of the 12th Malaysia Plan, the restoration project is expected to be finalized within six years. The outfall construction and beach restoration will improve water discharge from rivers to the sea, which will counter erosion danger by the three rivers—Sungai Mas, Sungai Kechil, and Sungai Kelian—that run into the sea at Batu Ferringhi, Akmal added.
Also, Akmal cited a standalone proposal to reclaim about 1km of beachfront, between the Paramount fishermen’s jetty and Gurney Drive. He highlighted the destruction of the jetty caused by high tide erosion, which destroyed the beach buildings in November 2022.
Penang DID apply to a project which would ensure no future erosion of the Paramount beachfront. The first application was made last April to Petra and the second one will be laid before the Economy Ministry next month – Malay Mail
