The Penang Government urges Urban Wellbeing Housing and Local Government Minister Abdul Rahman Dahlan to use common sense and logic when he said that the Federal Government would not approve the proposed 3rd Penang Bridge without any bridge blueprints.
Rahman also dismissed the cost of preparing the blueprints of the proposed Penang 3rd Bridge “as not an issue when the state government could afford to pay RM305 million for a study on the under-seabed tunnel from Gurney Drive to Bagan Ajam”.
Rahman continues to spread lies that the feasibility study for the tunnel cost RM305 million when he knows that I had repeatedly said that its actual cost was RM20 million.
Further, the cost of preparing the feasibility study for the 3rd Penang Bridge may come up to RM10 million. Even this RM10 million is not a small amount to simply spend because it is the rakyat’s money. There must be full justification and accountability.
No one would spend that amount of money (RM10 million) unless approval in principle is given by the Federal Government.
For that reason, the state government appeals to Works Minister Fadillah Yusof to give the approval in principle, subject to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approval.
Only then can we prepare the feasibility study and other necessary bridge blueprints.
The Penang Government also wishes to stress that the tunnel project was awarded, through open competitive tender, at the price of RM3.7 billion and not RM6.3 billion.
We regret that a Sin Chew senior columnist is singing the same tune as Umno in spreading lies that the feasibility study of the tunnel cost RM305 million when its actual cost is RM20 million instead.
It is unfortunate that Sin Chew is carrying out the same public vilification exercise on the chief minister that the feasibility study cost RM305 million.
This baseless figure is repeated even though I have explained many times the actual breakdown of the costs. I will reiterate this at a press conference in a few days.
The Sin Chew columnist has also criticised the chief minister for carrying out the RM250 million Spice (Subterranean Penang International Conference & Exhibition Centre) project, which will be opened next year.
The Spice project has been proven the correct decision for MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions & Exhibitions) tourism. But, of course, Sin Chew will not admit they were wrong in opposing the Spice project.
The under-seabed tunnel will take at least 10 years (2025-27) to complete. By that time, the traffic will well require a third link for Penang.
Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng had stated the state government’s willingness to substitute the under-seabed tunnel for a possible toll-free 3rd Penang Bridge if the Federal Government approval is obtained for the bridge.
The Penang chief minister had said that the state government was willing to attempt to build the first toll-free bridge in Penang, when compared to the 1st and 2nd Penang bridges.
We hope the works minister will not play politics like Rahman and give his approval since the 3rd Penang Bridge will be self-financed by the state government — without requiring a single cent from the Federal Government.
Lim Hock Seng is Penang works, utilities and transport committee chairman.
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