Penang: Plans to allow fishing activities to resume beneath the Penang Bridge and Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah Bridge (JSAHMS) are being refined through a more structured approach. Penang Infrastructure, Transport and Digital Committee chairman Datuk Rashidi Zinol said the matter was discussed during a third meeting with the fishing community and boat operators yesterday. He said the meeting focused on preparing suitable proposals and implementation methods to allow fishing activities at both locations to resume in an orderly manner. "Their request is clear, and our effort now is to bring the matter through the proper channels and processes to reach a practical solution," he told Bernama today.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Rashidi said he would continue to act as a liaison between the community and the relevant authorities following several meetings and engagement sessions held previously. He said discussions had also involved the relevant agencies, including the Penang office of the Chief Government Security Office (CGSO), the Penang Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM), and other enforcement agencies, together with representatives of the fishing community and affected boat operators. "I want all parties to sit together and hear the community's views, concerns, and problems firsthand. At the same time, safety, compliance with the law, and the interests of public infrastructure must also be taken into account.

"We do not want the issue to be viewed from only one perspective. The community's concerns must be heard, the enforcement authorities' views understood, and a solution reached collectively," he said.

Previously, the areas beneath the Penang Bridge and JSAHMS, also known as the Second Bridge, were gazetted as restricted areas under the Protected Areas and Places Act 1959 (Act 298) and classified as national critical targets. According to MMEA, anyone who violates the restriction may be charged under Section 7 of Act 298, which carries a maximum penalty of two years' imprisonment or a RM1,000 fine, or both. They may also face action under Section 447 of the Penal Code for trespassing.