Are Penangites angry over tunnel project delay, asks BN

GEORGE TOWN: Penangites are not angry, but are against the undersea tunnel and three main roads project, Barisan Nasional’s Eric See-To said today.

See-To, who is the ruling coalition’s strategic communications deputy director, threw a poser at Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, asking him if Penangites were really angered by the delay in the project.

Lim had recently blamed the BN government for sabotaging and causing delays to the project, and depriving Penangites of a solution to solve their traffic congestion.

“Actually, the major non-governmental organisations (NGOs), residents groups and activists are all against this project. Groups such as the Consumer Association of Penang, the Penang Forum, Sahabat Alam Malaysia and Aliran have always said that this project is overpriced, forced through by the state government without proper public consultation and will not solve traffic congestion,” See-To said in a Facebook post.

He said the supposed main beneficiaries of the first road – the 10.5km Tanjung Bungah and Teluk Bahang road – which are the Tanjung Bungah residents, do not even want that road.

He said the Tanjung Bungah residents associations have collected 400 signatures to oppose the road.

The residents said the project would be an environmental disaster, and questioned the big spike in costs.

See-To said residents also felt that the over RM1.1 billion spent to cut travel time by between 11 and 14 minutes was not justified, and would in fact add to traffic congestion.

“Despite so many strong objections to the project over so many years, the NGOs and the people of Penang are puzzled why the state government insists to arrogantly push through this mega RM6.34 billion project and vigorously defend the project whenever the project is questioned.

“Perhaps other private interests are more important than public interests?” he questioned.

The project came under renewed scrutiny following a fresh probe by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

The 7.2km undersea tunnel will connect George Town’s Pangkor Road and Bagan Ajam in Butterworth, and is scheduled to begin in 2023.

The “three main roads” (formerly three paired roads) stretch from Air Itam to Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway (5.7km), Tanjung Bungah to Teluk Bahang (10.53km), and Jalan Pangkor-Gurney Drive junction to Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway (4.1km). -FMT