As plans for the Jelutong Rehabilitation and Reclamation Project are revealed, scientists working to protect the Middle Bank area in the Penang Straits questioned if reclamation so close to the ecologically sensitive area could cause irreparable harm.

According to the recently published Environmental Assessment Impact (EIA) report, land reclamation for this project would likely encroach into the Middle Bank, a seagrass meadow which plays a vital ecological role.

The project, meant to rehabilitate the 40-year-old landfill and rejuvenate the area for other land use...