KUALA TERENGGANU: Erosion along the beaches here and in Penang have residents worried that their homes might be affected and fishermen their livelihood threatened.

At Kampung Pantai Tok Jembal, near here, constant pounding of the waves along the beach had caused a two-kilometre stretch of the coastal road from the jetty at Dalam Rhu Kuala Badak nearby to cave in.

Residents and fishermen claimed the waves had gone some 100 metres inland ever since a sea wall was erected to upgrade the nearby Sultan Mahmud Airport more than a year ago.

Fisherman Nasir Jusoh, 41, said the stretch of road had been damaged since the monsoon season started in November.

"We have not been able to land our boats at the jetty and this is a problem for many of us."

Nasir claimed there was no erosion before the construction of the sea wall at the airport.

Another fisherman Mazlan Ghani, 43, said not many people came to buy their freshly-landed fish since the road was damaged.

"To get here they have to use an alternative road which is further away."

He said Seberang Takir state assemblyman Ahmad Razif Abd Rahman knew about the problem and had assured them the road would be repaired soon.

When contacted, Razif told the New Straits Times that RM6.5 million had been allocated to repair the eroded coastline at the village.

In George Town, Penang, beachfront property owners are concerned with the massive erosion at the Tanjung Bungah seafront.

A hotel operator and a director of an international school along the seafront complained yesterday of the erosion, which they claimed, was getting alarmingly close to their property fronting the beach.

Paradise Sandy Beach Resort general manager Jeff de Zilva said vast amounts of sand had been sucked out to sea, reducing, what was initially a flat, sandy surface, to slopes.

To compound matters, palm trees planted along the beach have "mysteriously disappeared".

A check at the seafront showed several palm trees were being held secure by ropes tied to the fences of the Dalat International School.

"This started about a month ago. The problem is getting worse."

"We have lost something like five to six feet of sand, while the beach fronting the school has lost about eight feet," said De Zilva, adding that he had spoken to Tanjung Bungah assemblyman Teh Yee Cheu, who had inspected the area.

He said several officers from the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) had also visited the area,

Dalat International school director, Karl Steinkamp said he was shocked to see the change at the seafront.

A DID officer said an investigation was being conducted to determine the cause of the erosion.

However, a study by the National Hydraulic Research Institute of Malaysia revealed that abnormal sedimentation had occurred along Penang's coastline due to reclamation.

Reclamation had contributed to drastic changes in tidal currents in the Penang channel and sea around the state.

This had brought about significant siltation and has affected the natural hydro-flow of Penang's coastal waters.