Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology): A reflection from Penang

By Lim Chui Choo

Ah, things ain’t what they used to be (ain’t what they used to be) Where did all the blue skies go? Poison is the wind that blows From the north and south and east…

Marvin Gaye’s 1971 hit Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology) lamenting pollution and ecological destruction remains more relevant than ever. 

In 2016, Straits Quay and Quayside in northeast Penang Island faced upheaval as the Sri Tanjung Pinang phase 2 (STP2) reclamation work began.

Concrete slabs and a “sea curtain” appeared at the Tanjung Tokong beach, marking the start of the 760-acre development with a gross development value of RM60bn.

A year earlier, the project, extending 5km from Tanjong Tokong to Gurney Drive, ran into opposition from the Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) and Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM). The two groups criticised the approval of the project’s environmental impact assessment report for allegedly downplaying the environmental impacts and economic costs.

Key concerns included:

Scientists warn that intertidal habitats crucial for coastal stability will be lost if they are replaced with artificial islands, the two groups pointed out.

Despite these concerns, work proceeded, potentially affecting marine life and disturbing the tranquillity of nearby residents.

Reclamation for phase 2A (253 acres) concluded in 2019, and building construction began in 2023.

Phase 2, to reclaim another 507 acres, commenced in 2023, further disturbing the peace for nearby residents. From July 2023, construction brought what some residents described as unbearable noise, tremors and pollution, which they claimed exceeded permissible decibel levels.

Complaints to the authorities and elected representatives were met with either indifference or little result, according to residents.

A petition from 50 residents finally led to a meeting with the developer in January 2024, resulting in a supposed 08:00 to 20:00 work schedule.

However, a resident claimed breaches continued, and another meeting in February 2024 yielded only a minor revision – extending work until 22:00, as the contractor was said to be “behind schedule”.

A direct appeal to the chairperson of the developer company appears to have failed to curb the relentless construction.

Martin Luther King Jr once said: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

Inspired by this, I penned “Look What They’ve Done to the Sea (Off Straits Quay), Ma“, published on Earth Day 2024 by Aliran.

The destruction of nature in pursuit of profit is best summed up by the late Canadian astrophysicist Hubert Reeves: “Man is the most insane species. He worships an invisible God and destroys a visible Nature, unaware that this Nature he’s destroying is the God he’s worshipping.”

Lim Chui Choo is a concerned resident of Penang.