Three-highway project ‘sabotaged’ – Guan Eng
GEORGE TOWN: The DAPled Penang government said yesterday it is unsure whether the three-highway project, which includes an undersea tunnel, to alleviate traffic congestion in the state will go on as planned.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who appeared to be angry over the negative reports against the project, claimed that the Barisan Nasional had sabotaged it.
“We wanted to start work on the project but got sabotaged, so we do not know whether this project will go on or not,” he said at a press conference here.
The project comprises a 10.53km North Coastal Paired Road from Tanjung Bungah to Teluk Bahang, a 5.7-km Air Itam-Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway bypass and a 4.075-km Gurney Drive–Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway bypass.
The project also includes a 7.2km undersea tunnel connecting Persiaran Gurney to Bagan Ajam in Seberang Perai on the mainland.
The project is under investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission for the alleged high cost of the feasibility study as well as the payment method that involves an exchange of state government land.
It had also elicited objections from the people who expressed concern over the economic, social and environmental impact.
Lim said the state had followed procedure to secure the environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the project late last year.
Meanwhile, the chief minister, who is also the DAP secretarygeneral, declined comment on the termination of service of the five assistants of Tanjung Bungah DAP assemblyman Teh Yee Cheu.
“I have no comment on that issue,” he said.
Lim, who initially refused to take questions due to the presence of reporters from the mainstream media, said he would like to see how the mainstream media would report on his explanation on the projects first before he commented on something else.
It was reported yesterday that Teh had appealed to the state government to reconsider the termination of service of his five assistants.
They received letters on Jan 19 from the Human Resource Management Division in the State Secretariat terminating their service on Feb 18.
Last week, Teh was also barred from utilising the RM200,000 allocation for his state constituency. - Bernama