THE Penang government aims to start building parts of the three major highways that recently obtained EIA (environmental impact assessment) approval.

The highways are the Tanjung Bungah-Teluk Bahang bypass (Package 1), Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway-Ayer Itam bypass (Package 2), and Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway-Persiaran Gurney bypass (Package 3).

They are part of the RM6.3 billion tunnel and highways project, which is currently under the scrutiny of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

State traffic management executive councillor Chow Kon Yeow said the three highways were given EIA approval on November 7 last year from the federal Department of Environment.

“Conditional approval was given in the letter sent to the state economic planning unit. There are 59 conditions to be complied with before, during and after construction.

“Right now, the building of the highways is pending the state government’s decision and green light,” he told reporters at Komtar today.

Chow said the state still had to iron out matters such as land acquisition.

“Some land belongs to the federal government. Perhaps we can start building the parts that are not affected by land acquisition issues,” he said.

Ang Aing Thye, the chief engineer of the Penang transport master plan’s special purpose vehicle, said Package 2 involved some federal land.

Package 1, which is the north coast pair road, is not affected by acquisition of squatter relocation issues, he said.

Chow said some parts of Package 1 had been built by developers of projects on the northern coast of the island.

“We imposed it on the developers to build part of the road when they were building their projects. The contractor will just have to join the roads,” he said.

Chow said a final agreement with the contractor would also have to be inked for the three highways to cover the work component and other matters.

The highways project has been in the spotlight since early this month, when MACC launched an investigation into the whole project, which was awarded to Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd through an open tender in 2013.

Barisan Nasional leaders, like MCA’s Dr Wee Ka Siong, Gerakan’s Teng Chang Yeow and BN strategic communications deputy director Eric See-To, have been raising questions about the project’s contract and the costs of its many technical studies.

They have also questioned the RM208 million worth land  they say was transferred to Consortium Zenith to pay for the highways’ feasibility studies and detailed designs.  They also questioned the change of shareholders in the consortium in 2013.

A director from the consortium, a consultant engineer, the chairman of an engineering consultancy firm, and a director from a development firm were recently remanded to assist investigations. They have all been released on bail.

Following the development, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said last week he did not know if the highways project could still go on.

Chow today asked why BN leaders were “interfering” with the ongoing MACC investigation.

“Let MACC do its job, or maybe MACC should call them up since they have so much information. It would be better not to waste their information.

“MACC can call up Wee, Teng and See-To to assist the investigation so it can be finished soon. If there is a case, then charge (the parties in court). If there is none, then let the project proceed,” he said. – January 30, 2018.