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| Penang state govt seeks PORR briefing from fed govt |
| Written by Regina William | |||
| Tuesday, 08 September 2009 15:52 | |||
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Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who was commenting on The Edge report about the project to be undertaken by Economic Planning Unit-approved company Daya Aliran Inovasi Sdn Bhd, said: "The state government has not appointed any contractor for the project and the appointment was made by the federal government. "The PM's department has made the proposal and we have written to them for a briefing on the project as we want to know the terms and conditions of the project in the best interest of the people of Penang. "We want to know the costs, why this company was chosen, if the company is capable of carrying out this project and if it would resolve the traffic problems on the island. "It must be economically, environmentally viable and provide sustainability and balance. "Until we are clear about all these issues, I do not want to discuss this publicly as the terms have not been finalised and is still in the initial stages. "This has to be a matter between the federal and state governments to decide upon. Until we have been briefed, we will still be groping in the dark," he said at a press conference. He said the state government is also keen to know if the federal government was also funding the project. "If the federal government is only appointing the contractor without any funding, then the state government can also do the same. "If they are funding the project, then we must know why this particular company has been chosen," he added. Asked if the state government was in favour of the project, Lim said the state government welcomed any project that could help reduce the traffic congestion and generate economic growth and revenue for the state. On whether the state government would consult the public on the PORR, Lim said public consultation has already been held, and there were differing views. "We do not want to have a closed mind on such projects. "Let us have our discussion with the federal government first," he added. One of the shareholders of Daya Aliran is said to be Datuk Ahmad Ismail, the former Bukit Bendera Umno division chairman, who was also the executive chairman of Peninsular Metroworks Sdn Bhd, which was previously given a letter of intent in the mid-1990s to carry out the PORR project. The 18-kilometre toll highway was supposed to be completed simultaneously with the Butterworth Ring Road, which has been up and running for a few years now, but it has failed to take off. Even though it had been included in the Ninth Malaysia Plan, it was shelved again during the mid-term review.
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