Commission chairman Tan Teik Cheng said both parties welcomed the project, however, in the best interests of the state, developing Penang Port should be given priority.

“PPC gives its full support to the third link project. Similarly, the viability and potential of Penang Port to continue expanding in the future should be given emphasis,” he said in a statement here today.

Tan said the third link project is aimed at providing a more effective traffic network system for the island. Nonetheless, he said, the alignment of the project lays north of the Butterworth container terminal, which is the only port installation handling containers in Penang.

“PPC has given its comments and PP’s stand on the third link project to the state government on March 23,” he said.

Tan said PPC also recommends that the artificial island in Bagan Ajam be relocated closer to the coast to avoid disrupting the container terminal’s daily operations and obstructing the extension of berths in the future.

On March 11, chief minister Chow Kon Yeow said the Penang government had yet to finalise its decision on the feasibility study of the undersea tunnel project tabled at the state executive council in February.

The feasibility study, which began in December 2014 and should have been completed in 2016, was postponed due to various factors. The Penang government has not rejected the possibility of building a bridge as the third link between the island and the mainland to replace the tunnel.

The 6.5km undersea tunnel and three new roads were among the projects under the PTMP, which was valued at RM46 billion.