Penang Gerakan questions motive behind withdrawal of Chinese company from development project

GEORGE TOWN: Penang Gerakan today called on the state government to state who will be taking over from Beijing Urban Construction Group (BUCG) after the company withdrew from the consortium developing three paired roads and a proposed undersea tunnel.

State Youth acting chief Jason Loo (pix) said the Penang state administration was obligated to answer the question after Consortium Zenith BUCG (CZBUCG) was given permission to have BUCG withdrawn.

He said the consortium was given the RM6.3 billion project based on its record in other projects including the 2008 Olympic Stadium in Beijing.

"We want to ask the real reason why BUCG withdrew from the project," he said in a press conference today and urged the state to come clean on the matter.

The consortium sought permission from the state early this month to have BUCG withdrawn following the death of a 24-year-old woman after a crane hook fell on her car in Jalan Raja Chulan last month.

The development project where the crane was used was led by BUCG (M) Sdn Bhd while Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has reportedly said his administration agreed to the request.