GEORGE TOWN: DAP's Air Putih assemblyman Lim Guan Eng has continued to press Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow for answers over the reclamation project off Karpal Singh Drive.
This time, the former chief minister wants answers on the alleged absence of an open tender for a 28.3 hectare land.
Lim claimed the state government's response to his written question in the Penang state assembly on May 8 appeared to indicate that no open tender had been conducted for the reclamation project.
He said the reply only stated that the entire 33.9 hectare Jelutong dumpsite landfill rehabilitation project was carried out through a Request for Proposal (RFP) process.
"The Penang government's refusal to fully answer my written question indicates that no such open tender was done for the land reclamation project," he said in a statement today.
Lim said a Joint Development Agreement for the rehabilitation of the landfill site, costing RM1 billion, was signed on Feb 21, 2020.
He, however, noted that there was no mention of an RFP or open tender for the separate reclamation project in front of Karpal Singh Drive.
"Clearly the RFP for the landfill dumpsite was by open tender. However, nothing was mentioned about an open tender or RFP for the land reclamation," he claimed.
Lim claimed that checks of public records also did not reveal any advertisement for an open tender involving the land reclamation project.
He said open tender had been a key principle of Penang's Competency, Accountability and Transparency (CAT) governance since Pakatan took power in the state in 2008 and had featured prominently in the coalition's election manifestos.
"The chief minister and the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) should explain why an open tender was not conducted for what he described as a major project," he said.
According to Lim, the reclaimed land could have a market value of about RM1.8 billion, based on an estimated price of RM600 per sq ft (RM6,458 per square meter).
"Public interest demands a full accounting by the state government on the reasons an open tender was not conducted for such a major project with wide implications for residents in the affected areas," he stressed.
Lim added that bypassing an open tender process could only be justified on grounds of national security, urgency or the unique expertise of the contracting party.
He questioned what considerations had led the state government to forgo an open tender for the project.
The New Straits Times has reached out to Chow, who is also PDC chairman, for comments.
During the recent state assembly sitting, Lim questioned why Chow had yet to fulfil his promise to cancel the controversial Joint Development Agreement for the rehabilitation of the Jelutong landfill site despite repeated delays and the rejection of the project's Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
He subsequently urged PDC to sue PLB Engineering Bhd over RM20 million in alleged unpaid fees linked to the Jelutong landfill rehabilitation project. - FMT
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