GEORGE TOWN, May 21 -- Pertubuhan Jaringan Ekologi dan Iklim Pulau Pinang (Jedi) has called on the Penang state government to immediately gazette Middle Bank as a marine sanctuary due to its role as a carbon sink that strengthens climate resilience.

Jedi spokesman Andrew Han said the Middle Bank is one of the last surviving seagrass meadows in Peninsular Malaysia.

"It is not just a natural treasure, it is an ecological life support system," he said in a statement today.

"It supports the livelihoods of coastal fishers, contributes to Penang's food security, and serves as a carbon sink that strengthens climate resilience," he added.

Han was responding to state executive councillor H'ng Mooi Lye's remarks that the Penang government curre...