CHOW STAYS MUM ON NAJIB’S PIL 1 CLAIM
Give me time to get information, says Penang CM
THE Penang government has refrained from answering claims by former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak over the continuation of the 19.5km PanIsland Link (PIL) 1 project, despite costing more than estimated.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the state would respond to the matter only after it received accurate information about the project.
“I do not wish to comment on his (Najib’s) allegations. Give me some time to get the right information and statistics about PIL 1,” he told the New Straits Times Press yesterday.
Najib reportedly said the government had previously condemned him over the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project, saying it cost too much and was a waste of public funds.
He said Pakatan Harapan claimed that the RM55 billion for the 688km ECRL rail line — which translated into about RM80 million per km — was too costly.
Strangely, he said, PH had decided to carry on with the PIL 1 even though the cost had escalated from RM7.5 billion to RM9 billion, or RM461 million per km.
Consumers Association of Penang president S.M. Mohamed Idris said the ballooning of cost, if true, would burden the people.
Stressing that the mega project was unwarranted, he said the project would adversely impact various quarters, especially those living in the southern part of the island and along the PIL 1 route.
“Since its announcement, the project has been met with protests. The government had announced the Penang South Reclamation, which will see the creation of three man-made islands, to fund the projects under the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP), which includes PIL 1.
“This will directly affect the marine ecosystem there and the people’s livelihood as PIL 1 involves drilling and blasting.
“As such, non-governmental organisations, including Penang Forum, have initiated awareness programmes for communities affected by the project, to oppose it.”
Yesterday, Chow told a press conference that the alignment for PIL 1 was in its preliminary design stage and would be improved.
He said there was a need for PIL 1 to address the worsening traffic congestion, adding that those who opposed the project should provide an alternative.
The 19.5km PIL 1 highway will include a 10km tunnel that cuts through the hills in Bukit Bendera, Paya Terubong and Sungai Ara to ease traffic congestion on the island. It will also cut across Youth Park, which is unavoidable.
The RM7.5 billion highway will allow traffic to go directly from Gurney Drive to Gottlieb Road, Youth Park, Sungai Keluang and the Second Penang Bridge, cutting travelling time by more than half.