GEORGE TOWN: Does Penang need more golf courses? This is the question watchdog groups here are asking following the announcement by the state government that a new RM350mil golf course is to be built in Batu Kawan.

Malaysia Nature Society Penang branch chairman Kanda Kumar urged the state to provide more details on the project, which is scheduled for completion by 2013.

“What we would like to know is where exactly the golf course will be built, and how big it will be,” he said.

“When we talk about Batu Kawan, there is a likelihood that we are talking about mangrove areas, so there is concern whether mangroves will have to be cleared for the project.

“We also have to ask ourselves if the state really needs more golf courses. In the early 1970s to 80s, there were quite a few resorts in Penang but a lot of them have closed down.

“Maybe we should think about reviving those places. Whatever the decision, we hope the development will be sustainable and not just a ‘trendy’ project.”

On Saturday, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng announced that a memorandum of understanding had been signed between the Penang Development Corporation and South Korean company DK ENC Company Ltd to build an RM350mil golf course in Batu Kawan.

Water Watch Penang president Prof Dr Chan Ngai Weng said they had yet to hear much on the project and wondered if the development would be situated near water catchment areas.

“Before we form a strong opinion, we have to look at the plan along with the current use of the land, the topography and the surrounding areas,” he said.

“Normally, a lot of insecticide is used in golf courses so we have to make sure that it will not seep into the water system.”

Asked about the matter on Wednesday, Lim said investPenang executive committee chairman Datuk Lee Kah Choon would divulge more details on the project upon his return from South Korea on Thursday.