Penang BN seeks to dig up more dirt on undersea tunnel

GEORGE TOWN: Penang Barisan Nasional (BN) believes there are more dubious transactions done under the proposed RM6.3 billion cross-channel undersea tunnel other than what the coalition had disclosed since last week.
Its chairperson Teng Chang Yeow said that BN has just "scratched the surface" of a long and complicated issue with regards to the tunnel.
"But we feel that we are doing the right thing in questioning it as it is a public project due to the funds in the form of land swaps, which the state has committed. It is the future of Penang we are talking about," he said.
Presently, BN's bone of contention was that the land was swapped before it was reclaimed, so technically something went wrong when there was no land title or grant issued.
Secondly, the feasibility study which has gone uncompleted, cost a whopping RM305 million.
Thirdly, who were the actual companies behind Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd, who had won the open tender bid to become the project delivery partner.
Teng said the cost of design works and the feasibility study was said to be RM236 million according to China Railway Construction Corporation International.
"However, the report of the state public accounts committee of the state legislative assembly dated on Oct 19, 2015 and the state's reply on May 19, last year, put the total value of the study and design costs at RM305 million."
Where did an extra RM69.3 million come from? Teng asked during yesterday's press conference.
Land swap means the sale of assets belonging to the people of Penang, Teng said.
Teng also disclosed that his lawyers have almost finalised plans to file a defamation suit against Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.
"We will serve our legal claims to Lim soon. It will be a media event."
Teng said that this was the first time that he was suing a politician but he had no choice as Lim had challenged him to do so.