GEORGE TOWN: The Penang state government will continue requesting for funds from Putrajaya to carry out the 20km-long Pan Island Link 1 (PIL1) highway project despite being rejected three times.
Penang infrastructure committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari told the state legislative assembly today that the state government was requesting RM1.6 billion from the third rolling plan under the 12th Malaysia Plan for this year and RM425 million for next year.
He said Phase 1(A) of the project was to build a 2.4km-long link from the intersection of Lim Chong Eu Expressway to the intersection of Jalan Tun Dr Awang, Bayan Baru, to ease traffic congestion at Jalan Tengah, Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah and Jalan Tun Dr Awang.
“If the traffic congestion problems in the industrial areas in Penang are resolved, the industrial sector will be vastly developed, and it will contribute to the country’s GDP and federal taxes.
“It is a win-win situation (for both state and federal governments) and we don’t understand why the federal government cannot consider (providing the funds).
“We hope that our (opposition) assemblymen here (from Barisan Nasional and Perikatan Nasional) will raise the matter with the federal government, especially Yang Berhormat Seberang Jaya since he is working for the international trade and industry ministry,” he said in reference to Dr Afif Bahardin, who is the special tasks officer in the ministry.
He also criticised the Perikatan Nasional-Barisan Nasional government’s decision to cancel funds allocated by the previous Pakatan Harapan government for the LRT project in Bayan Lepas, and for refusing to grant a US$500 million government guarantee application made by the state government in 2019 to partially finance the project.
Both the PIL1 project and the Bayan Lepas LRT project are part of the ambitious Penang Transport Master Plan by the state government. - FNT
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