‘Penang took four years to submit EIA’

Wee: Late submission of report delayed project involving the three main roads

PETALING JAYA: The late submission of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) by the Penang government to the Department of Environment (DoE) is the main reason behind the delay of the three main roads project, says Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.

Citing two recent statements by the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, the MCA deputy president said the evaluation time taken by the DoE was merely six-and-a-half months.

“This is the normal process of an EIA evaluation,” he said in refuting Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s allegations that the Barisan Nasional government has been delaying the EIA of the project for many years.

“Why do you say that Barisan sabotaged the project when it is your own government or the SPV (special purpose vehicle) submitting the EIA for the three paired roads some four years later after being awarded the contract?” Dr Wee asked in a three-minute video uploaded on his Facebook page yesterday.

According to a Penang Public Accounts Committee report, all the studies of the undersea tunnel and the main road projects were supposed to be submitted by 2016.

Last Friday, Lim told a press conference that he was not blaming BN on the undersea tunnel project but the three main roads project.

“You (Barisan) delayed the EIA for so many years. Finally, we got our EIA last year but how to start? The people (overseeing the project) got arrested,” said Lim.

According to statements, the DoE received the EIA report for the main roads on April 21 last year.

DoE then approved the EIA report on Nov 7 last year.

Dr Wee also said Lim’s statement contradicted the official reply of Penang state exco member Lim Hock Seng.

In a reply in the state legislative assembly in March last year, Hock Seng said the main roads were expected to start construction by mid-2018.

“It is also confusing that the SPV said it wanted to start construction now,” added Dr Wee.

The RM6.3bil Major Roads and Tunnel project in Penang came under the spotlight early last month when the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission arrested several key officials for suspicion of graft.

The project includes the construction of a 7.2km undersea tunnel connecting Gurney Drive on the island to Bagan Ajam in north Butterworth.

There will also be a 10.53km North Coastal Paired Road from Tanjung Bungah to Teluk Bahang, a 5.7km Air Itam-Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway bypass and a 4.075km Gurney Drive-Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway bypass.