THE Penang government today said it is in the dark about millions allegedly paid to get the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to close its investigations into the state’s undersea tunnel and highways project.

MACC first started looking into the project in 2016, and launched another round of investigations last month.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the state executive council was shocked by reports on the alleged payment.

“We are shocked to read about the RM22 million paid to two persons – RM19 million to a businessman, and RM3 million to someone who is known to us, but not our friend: (Barisan Nasional) Baling MP Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim.

“We did not know of this. We are asking Zenith to explain. We will wait to hear its explanation,” he said, referring to Consortium Zenith Constructions Sdn Bhd, which had won the open tender to undertake the RM6.3 million project in 2013.

MACC detained the 37-year-old businessman, suspected of accepting the RM19 million bribe to close MACC’s investigations, in Putrajaya yesterday. He has been remanded for six days.

On Monday, Malaysiakini quoted sources as saying the businessman and Azeez had been issued demand letters for allegedly failing to execute their tasks to deliver the required consultancy services as per their agreement in July 2013.

It was reported that Azeez had denied having dealings with Consortium Zenith.

When contacted, Consortium Zenith chairman Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli said he did not know about the arrest and the money allegedly paid, as he was on sabbatical leave.

Lim, during a press conference at Komtar, questioned whether MACC planned to haul up Azeez, an Umno Supreme Council member.

“Why is he not arrested? Why the double standards again? Why is MACC playing favourites?”

The Malaysian Insight has tried contacting MACC deputy chief commissioner (operations) Azam Baki to get his comments on the matter. He has not replied to queries via WhatsApp.

Lim reiterated that DAP was made a scapegoat when others had received money.

“There were front-page BN newspaper reports that politicians had received kickbacks of millions of ringgit for their cooperation in the tunnel and highways project. In the end, it is a lie… slander.

“Why is it always like this? Umno gets the kickbacks, but DAP gets attacked. Again, the innocent party is made a scapegoat.”

Lim is also DAP secretary-general, and the party leads the Penang administration.

Last week, the party was made the target of allegations that it had received funding from Malaysian tycoon Robert Kuok, who was, in turn, accused of trying to rid the BN federal government and have a Chinese government installed.

DAP and Kuok have denied the allegations by blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin. It is now known that Umno and MCA were the ones that had received donations from Kuok.

In his recently published memoirs, Kuok said he was often asked to give substantial donations to the two ruling parties after the country’s independence.

“I gave willingly, happily and freely.”

Lim said he hoped MACC would act against fake news on investigations into Penang’s tunnel and highways project.

He repeated that the probe looked more like a political witch hunt.

“Why hound the state government when we have followed the rules and international standards?

“We went by an open tender. We appointed an independent checker, the engineering firm HSSI that is also involved in the ECRL (East Coast Rail Link) and HSR (Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail) projects.

“What is going on?”

Yesterday, Azam told reporters that due to the technicalities involved, MACC was in the process of engaging independent consultants to study the project’s feasibility studies.

He said MACC had recorded statements from 127 witnesses, adding that there was no need to call up Lim for the time being.

“They have called up Deputy Chief Minister II Dr P. Ramasamy for his statement, although he had nothing to do with the project. Perhaps, it was because he issued statements about the project,” said the chief minister.

“I have been questioning why MACC is not doing its duty professionally. I am waiting to be called up, too.”

Earlier, he announced that the state would organise a celebration to mark the opposition’s 10-year rule in Penang.

The event will be held at the Padang Kota Lama field on March 11, from 7pm to 11pm.

Lim said Pakatan Harapan chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad and president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail would be among the top leaders speaking that night.

“There will be light refreshments and important announcements,” said the PH deputy president and state PH chairman, without elaborating.

Lim’s political secretary, Wong Hon Wai, who will be in charge of organising the event, said the opposition pact’s leaders would speak about its 10-year milestone since taking over Penang in 2008 and the way forward.

He declined to confirm if the “important announcements” would include state seat allocations among the pact’s four parties. – February 28, 2018.