PENANG Deputy Chief Minister II Dr P. Ramasamy has nothing to do with the state’s undersea tunnel project and should not be hauled up by the anti-graft agency over it, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said today.

“His portfolio deals with education and libraries, not roads, tunnels or infrastructure project. He is also not part of the state tender board. Why is he being questioned by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on the tunnel project?” Guan Eng told a press conference in Komtar today.

He said it was “surprising” that MACC had called up an exco who was irrelevant to the project.

Ramasamy is currently at the Penang MACC headquarters, where he has been since this morning, to give his statement to assist the ongoing investigation into the tunnel and highways project.

The Prai assemblyman from DAP is the second Penang government leader to be called up by MACC, after state public works, transport and utilities exco Lim Hock Seng, who was questioned by MACC yesterday for 13 hours before he was released last night.

Guan Eng said the state exco firmly objected to MACC’s questioning of Ramasamy.

He also said MACC was investigating the matter “based on wrong information” put out by Barisan Nasional.

He reiterated that the investigation was a form of political persecution aimed at tarnishing the DAP-led state government’s image.

“Will they be investigating every project in the same manner? Next time, who will want to do business in Penang?

“This is undue harassment by MACC to cause distress. They are investigating an open tender project. Why won’t they investigate those not awarded via open tender?”

The RM6.3 billion tunnel and highways project was mooted by the opposition-controlled Penang government before the 2013 general election to alleviate the traffic congestion problem in the state.

The three highways have obtained EIA approval to proceed while the undersea tunnel is still at feasibility study stage. – February 14, 2018.