Firstly, C4 wants information on the Agreement signed between the Penang Government and Zenith BUCG to carry out feasibility studies, the environmental impact assessment report (EIA), the detailed designs of the three proposed highways and the undersea bed tunnel.
Secondly, it wants information on the detailed cost related to these projects.
The state government has assured that it would reply to these questions within 14 working days, disclosed C4 Executive Director Cynthia Gabriel and Northern Region Coordinator K. Sudhagaran Stanley. “We will study the agreement and cost involved in full upon receiving these documents.”
“We note that the process of applying for the information was smooth.”
The NGO has no information at this point on what the total cost of the documents could be, but it believes that it could run into hundreds of ringgit as the agreements would have hundreds of pages. “The primary goal of an access to information act must be to allow for better scrutiny by the public, and for greater openness in the way the government runs its business,” said C4. “Hence, we recommend for these barriers to be dutifully removed.”
Already, it said that civil society groups have raised conflict of interest issues, putting into question serious doubt on the independence of the project, awarding of contracts, study and overall impact. “We are encouraged by the answers provided to Federal Minister Abdul Rahman Dahlan thus far,” said C4. “It showcases responsiveness and openness. We now urge for the state to raise the bar of transparency further and release the Agreement for all to know the details involved.”
The current mega project in Penang was of great concern to all Penangites, said the NGO. “Traffic has always been a major bane in the island.”
“The Penang Transport Master Plan was a holistic plan to lessen congestion and provide for effective public transport.”
However, given the scarcity of land, and the magnitude of the project, many concerns have been raised from an economic and environmental standpoint in particular, it noted.
C4 was particularly concerned as George Town was among the few cities that does not have a local plan for the city. “Hence, a traffic master plan without an overall plan for the city may result in skewed planning and serious deficiencies in the long-term.”