PM: New monster of a scandal emerges
There is no need to waste people’s money building the Penang undersea tunnel when the island has two bridges connecting it to the mainland, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
He said this while registering his criticism of the RM6.3 billion proposed traffic dispersal project that the DAP-led Penang government had embarked on.
“We already have two Penang bridges. So, why is there a need to waste people’s money by building an undersea tunnel?
“As if the bungalow scandal was not enough, lately a new monster of a scandal has emerged in the form of the undersea tunnel,” Najib said in a blog post yesterday.
He was alluding to the court case and allegations against Chief Minister Lim Guang Eng for allegedly purchasing a bungalow below the market price from a developer with vested interests.
In 2016, Lim had pleaded not guilty to charges of corruption in relation to the conversion of land from agricultural to residential, and the purchase of a plot of land and a bungalow at below-market value.
The case against Lim and businesswoman Phang Li Koon will be heard at the Penang High Court between March 26 and May 25.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission is investigating the Penang undersea tunnel project and its three paired road project.
Barisan Nasional strategic communications deputy director Eric See-To took DAP to task for accusing BN of sabotaging and causing delays to the mega project.
“Actually, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), residents’ groups and activists are against this project. The Consumer Association of Penang, Penang Forum, Sahabat Alam Malaysia and Aliran have said this project is overpriced, forced through by the Penang government without public consultation.
“They have said that it will not solve traffic congestion,” said SeeTo in Facebook recently.
He included links to statements by three groups that raised concerns and objections to the project.
“In fact, the supposed main beneficiaries of the first road — the 10.5km Tanjung BungahTeluk Bahang road — who are Tanjung Bungah residents, do not even want the road.”
He said the Tanjung Bungah residents’ association had collected 400 signatures to oppose the road, stressing that it would be an environmental disaster, and there had been no proper public consultation.
A third reason was that the road would be dangerous as it would be built on steep hillsides, said See-To.
“The association said the road, which costs more than RM1.1 billion in order to save 11 to 14 minutes out of 20 minutes’ travelling time, is not justified but will make traffic worse due to new bottlenecks. Despite so many objections to the three roads and tunnel project, NGOs and Penang folk are puzzled as to why the state government is insisting on pushing through this RM6.34 billion project and vigorously defends it whenever it is questioned.”
See-To said that last year, utilisation of the first Penang Bridge was at 87 per cent of capacity, while the second Penang Bridge, was 50 per cent.
“Therefore, there is still ample existing capacity to cater for traffic between the island and the mainland.”
In George Town, Penang Public Works, Utilities and Public Transportation Committee chairman Lim Hock Seng said the construction of one of the three paired roads was expected to be delayed.
He claimed this was due to the MACC investigation into the undersea tunnel project.
Lim said the Penang government had planned to begin the construction of the road from Tanjung Bungah to Batu Ferringhi by June.