Chow ticks off NGOs for again claiming he changed his stand on highways

Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow urged NGOs who protested against the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) and Pan-Island Link 1 (PIL 1) to base their criticisms on facts instead of misinformation.

Chow said the NGOs have alleged that he had rejected the previous BN's proposed Penang Outer Ring Road (PORR) but now supports the PIL 1, a proposed link which is supposed to build tunnels through Penang Hill, and highways through two parks.

He was referring to the protest at the Penang legislative assembly this morning against the PIL 1 and PTMP where Tanjong Bungah Residents Association chairperson Meena Rahman said she was "saddened" that Chow had changed his stand when he rejected the PORR in 2002.

Chow said the alignment of PIL 1 and PORR at Gottlieb Road is similar but the difference is, PORR imposes a toll fee on its users.

"Any consultant who wants to build an outer ring road to Gurney Drive has to use Gottlieb Road.

"But this is being highlighted by the group. They are asking why in 2002, I rejected PORR but today I want the PIL 1," Chow told reporters after the state assembly adjourned at 4pm today.

"I have answered many times, the last time I rejected PORR as a toll fee would be imposed," he added.

Chow clarified that DAP rejected the PORR proposal because the Halcrow report then revealed that traffic congestion would not be reduced five years later even after the highway was built.

Chow had then asked the then Penang government to review the project and to prove whether PORR would address traffic woes on the island.

"The concessionaire was then allowed to reclaim several plots of land; as Tanjong MP, I had organised a few campaigns to protest against PORR," Chow said.

Chow reiterated that he had merely protested against the imposition of toll fees and not the PORR.

He claimed that an NGO member had distributed leaflets of his speech in 2002, but the publication did not identify the publisher.

"It is against the law. Let the authorities deal with the person," Chow said.

"They (NGOs) have run out of capital and used false claims to say I have changed my stand when I support the PTMP and PIL 1 when I had previously rejected the PORR," he added.

Chow then shared a report in July 2008, which featured then chief minister Lim Guan Eng urging the BN federal government to fund previous people's projects for Penang, which includes the PORR, light rail transit and Mengkuang Dam.

"They only continued the Mengkuang Dam, not the PORR or LRT. This proves the state government supports federal funding for PORR," he said.

"Share the right information instead of taking statements from 2002 to say I protested against the highway project.

"Yes, I protested but it was against the toll. That was a different story altogether," he added.

Chow expressed hope that those who used the claims will present the facts and not make their claims based on lies.

He reminded that earlier the NGOs have clarified that they used "inaccurate" photos to explain the highway issue.

He urged them to use the latest photos in the Environment Impact Assesment report.

"But they prefer to use images to incite fear and uncertainties towards the project and accuse us of using certain explosives to build the tunnels in Penang Hill," he said.

"Today, they continue to spread false news about what I did but the information is out of context.

"If you want to protest, please use proper facts and don't instil fear, confuse and devalue professionals because professionals do not use such technics," he said.

Chow said he had urged former CM Koh Tsu Koon to prove to him that the Halcrow report was wrong.

I had asked Koh Tsu Koon prove to me the Halcrow (report) is wrong, but they could not do it. No one responded to me at the time. You think the opposition could get answers from the government. Very difficult then, unlike now.

"Actually we never changed our stand against toll fees, this has been our stand since 16 years ago," Chow added. - Mkini