Guan Eng blames BN-awarded project for tunnel delay

BUTTERWORTH: The land reclamation works holding up the feasibility study for the under seabed tunnel project is on the Butterworth side which was awarded by the previous Barisan Nasional (BN)-led state government in 1999, said Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.
Lim, in a statement today, said the Butterworth land reclamation project is entirely different from the present reclamation project now undertaken by Eastern & Oriental Berhad Group (E&O) on the island since last year.
He said Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof should not mix up the E&O reclamation project on the island with the one on the mainland, located near Penang Port in Butterworth involving 650ha, granted to Rayston Consortium Sdn Bhd.
"Up to date, Rayston is still carrying out its land reclamation master plan and the state government can only hope that they can complete it over the next 6 months.
"Without the Butterworth sea reclamation master plan, the feasibility study cannot be completed unless they take into account the hydraulic flow data and road network on the reclaimed land.
"Such data is required to avoid any overlapping. This is the reason why the tunnel feasibility study is only 87% complete and cannot proceed\ whilst awaiting for the sea reclamation master plan from Rayston.
"Let us reiterate that despite the 87% completion of the tunnel feasibility study, not a single sen has been paid to the consortium awarded the contract," he said.
On Friday, the Works Ministry said it had yet to receive the feasibility and detailed design studies for the proposed third bridge linking Gurney Drive and Bagan Ajam from the Penang government.
Fadillah said the Penang government had promised to deliver the studies, costing RM305 million, to his ministry by early this year, however, they have not received the studies although the first quarter of the year has ended.
Lim added Fadillah had the right to seek an update of the feasibility studies on the tunnel, done to support Penang's request for approval at their own cost to build a third bridge.
"The state government is willing to provide him with any information required.
"The Penang state government is willing to meet him to explain why replacing the under seabed tunnel with a third bridge for Penang is not only cheaper and more efficient but also technically possible," he said.
He said a third Penang Bridge would enhance connectivity and Penang's tourist attractiveness as an island of bridges, especially from an engineering standpoint.
"We are as unhappy as Fadillah with the sea reclamation agreement done by the previous BN state government, as it was on terms that were unfavourable to the interests of the people of Penang," he said.
Lim hoped that an approval in principle can be granted by Fadillah first for Penang to build the third bridge so that they would not waste the tens of millions of ringgit or more required for the detailed drawing and design, if no approval is then forthcoming.