Farizan (second from left) posing with fishermen at a ceremony to give them keys to their new boats.
REGISTRATION for the Penang South Island (PSI)’s Social Impact Management Plan (SIMP) is still open to south Penang island fishermen.
Penang Infrastructure Corporation (PIC) chief executive officer Datuk Seri Farizan Darus said those who had not registered should do so as soon as possible at Pusat Perkhidmatan Setempat Nelayan (PPSN) to receive ex-gratia payments.
The payments are now being processed for those who registered early.
“The SIMP scheme is being rolled out now, following Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow’s announcement that PSI works to reclaim Silicon Island have been approved to begin after the Environment Management Plan was approved on July 21.
“Planning permission for reclamation was obtained from the Town and Country Planning Department on Aug 22,” he said in a statement.
“The state government is fulfilling its promise to fishermen.
“It is their right to enjoy all the scheme’s benefits. They should have the confidence to register,” he said.
Farizan said 358 fishermen comprising boat owners and their crew had signed up for SIMP since it was announced two years ago.
They are now getting 75% of the ex-gratia promised to them, in stages via electronic fund transfer starting Sept 1.
“The state government has started making payments via the southwest district and land office to recipients whose status has been verified by the Fisheries Department.
“The first batch are 185 fishermen who submitted complete documents.
“The second batch of 173 recipients will need to update and complete their documents at PPSN for their payments to be processed.
“They will get the payout at the end of September or early October,” he said.
Farizan said the remaining 25% payment was expected to be given out in January next year.
He said the ex-gratia payments were a clear indication of the state government’s appreciation for the contributions of fishermen to the economy.
“We hope the fishermen will spend the money wisely, putting it to good use for their family’s well-being and future,” he added.
Recently, PIC held a townhall session with SIMP-registered fishermen from the PSI Tier One and Tier Two areas, to inform them of the ex-gratia payments, other SIMP benefits and the upcoming reclamation works.
Boat owners from Tier One will be eligible to receive new boats and engines, with priority now given to fishermen belonging to the Permatang Tepi Laut unit that is directly facing Silicon Island.
Tier One consists of the Permatang Tepi Laut, Sungai Batu, Teluk Kumbar and Gertak Sanggul fishermen units which are located closest to the Silicon Island site.
Meanwhile, Tier Two consists of the Sri Jerjak, Batu Maung, Telok Tempoyak, Pulau Betong and Kuala Sungai Burung fishermen units.
PIC is a 100% state-owned special purpose vehicle tasked with overseeing the implementation of PSI.
