Penang exco members give statements to MACC on undersea tunnel project
GEORGE TOWN: Three members of the Penang state executive council (exco) yesterday presented themselves at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office here to give their statement on the Penang undersea tunnel project.
Jagdeep Singh Deo, who is also State Housing, Local Government, Town and Country Planning Committee chairman, arrived at the Penang MACC office at 9.30am followed by Chong Eng ( Women and Family Development, Gender Inclusiveness and Non-Islamic Religious Affairs Committee chairman) at 11.23am, and Phee Boon Poh (Welfare, Caring Society and Environment Committee chairman) at 2.30pm.
Jagdeep was later seen leaving the building at noon after nearly three hours and only waved his hand at reporters waiting outside the MACC building.
Meanwhile, Chong Eng was spotted leaving at 3.20pm and, when asked, said everything had proceeded smoothly.
“They (MACC) asked about my background and asked me to verify what was transcripted in the minutes of several meetings concerning the construction of three highways and the undersea tunnel project,” she said.
Asked whether she would be called again to testify later, Chong said: “I don’t know...they (MACC) told me I was done for today (yesterday),” she said.
Earlier, several MACC officials were spotted at a state government administrative building at the Kompleks Tun Abdul Razak (Komtar), here to continue investigation on the undersea tunnel project which involves an estimated total cost of RM6.3 billion.
Last Friday, two MACC teams recorded statements from some of the staff at the office of Deputy Chief Minister II Prof Dr P Ramasamy and the office of the State Public Works, Utilities, and Flood Mitigation Committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari.
It is learnt that it was part of MACC’s probe into allegations of corruption involving the Penang Undersea Tunnel project.
Meanwhile, former Penang Port Commission chairman Jeffrey Chew Gim Eam, who was remanded for four days from July 1 to assist in investigations over alleged corruption in the mega project, was released on police bail last Saturday (July 4).