Press Statement By Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng In Kuala Lumpur On 2.4.2017.
Sea reclamation works holding up the feasibility study for the under seabed tunnel project, is on the Butterworth side and reclamation work has still not commenced despite being awarded by the BN Penang state government in 1999. This Butterworth sea reclamation project is entirely different from the present reclamation project now undertaken by E&O Bhd group on the island since last year.
Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof should not mix up the E&O reclamation project on the island with the one on the mainland, located near to Penang Port in Butterworth involving 650 hectares, granted to Rayston Consortium Sdn Bhd. To date, Rayston is still carrying out its land reclamation master plan and the state government can only hope that they can complete it over the next 6 months.
Without the Butterworth sea reclamation masterplan, the feasibility study cannot be completed unless they take into account the hydraulic flow data and road network on the reclaimed land. Such data is required to avoid any overlapping. This is the reason why the tunnel feasibility study is only 87% complete and cannot proceed, whilst awaiting for the sea reclamation masterplan from Rayston. Let us reiterate that despite the 87% completion of the tunnel feasibility study, not a single cent has been paid to the consortium awarded the contract.
Fadillah has the right to seek an update of the feasibility studies on the tunnel, done to support Penang’s request for approval at our own cost to build a third bridge. The state government is willing to provide him with any information required. The Penang state government is willing to meet him to explain why replacing the under seabed tunnel with a third bridge for Penang is not only cheaper and more efficient but also technically possible.
A third Penang Bridge will enhance connectivity and Penang’s tourist attractiveness as an island of bridges, especially from an engineering standpoint. As a sign of our commitment, the Penang state government is willing to finance the cost of building the 3rd bridge and not charge toll to vehicles. Such a toll-free bridge will be the first in Malaysia.
The Penang state government is baffled as to why Fadillah is blaming the present state government for the delay in Rayston commencing on the sea reclamation project, when the contract was granted by the previous BN state government in 1999. We are as unhappy as Fadillah with the sea reclamation agreement done by the previous BN state government, as it was on terms that were unfavourable to the interests of the people of Penang
In seeking to look forward, the Penang state government is willing to meet with Fadillah next week to brief him fully on the facts, furnish any information required as well as welcome any Works Ministry professional expertise to assist Penang. We hope that an approval in principle can be granted by him first to Penang to build the third bridge so that we will not waste the tens of millions of ringgit(or more) required for the detailed drawings and design, if no approval is then forthcoming.
LIM GUAN ENG
—-Mandarin Version —
槟州首席部长林冠英于2017年4月2日于吉隆坡发表声明：
导致海底隧道可行性报告拖延的填海工程位于威省一带，有关填海工程自1999年槟州国阵政府批准后，到今天都还没有动工。
导致海底隧道可行性报告拖延的填海工程位于威省一带，有关填海工程自1999年槟州国阵政府批准后，到今天都还没有动工。北海的填海工程与E&O集团去年开始在槟岛进行的填海工程完全不同。
工程部长拿督斯里法迪拉不该将E&O在槟岛的填海计划和威省的填海计划混为一谈，威省北海的填海计划位于槟城港口，涉及650公顷，工程已经颁给Rayston Consortium私人有限公司。截至今天，Rayston还在进行它的填海大蓝图，州政府只能希望他们可以在接下来的六个月完成。
如果北海填海大蓝图不出炉，可行性报告就不可能完整，除非他们已经考虑了水流数据及填海地面的道路分布。我们需要有关数据资料以避免重叠。这也是为什么海底隧道的可行性报告只完成87%而不能提呈，我们还在等待Rayston的填海大蓝图。让我们重申，尽管海底隧道可行性报告已经完成87%，但是我们还没有支付一分钱给获得合约的有关联营公司。
法迪拉有权利要求我们提呈更新的海底隧道可行性报告，做为槟城要求当局批准我们自行支付建筑成本兴建第三桥的文件。槟州政府愿意提供任何所需文件及资料。槟州政府也愿意与部长见面，解释为什么我们以第三大桥取代海底隧道，因为它不只更便宜、更具效率，技术上也更可行。
槟城第三大桥将加强“两岸三通”的联系，槟城做为“桥梁之岛”的旅游景点，特别是从工程角度。为了展现我们的决心，槟州政府愿意出资兴建第三大桥，不征收过路费。这将是全马第一座免过路费的大桥。
槟州政府感到困惑，为什么法迪拉在Rayston填海工程拖延一事怪罪当朝州政府，有关合约是由前朝国阵政府在1999年颁予的。我们和法迪拉一样，对前朝国阵政府签下的填海合约感到不高兴，当中的条件对槟州人民不太有利。
我们要向前看，槟州政府愿意在下个星期与法迪拉见面，详细地向他解释事实，提供任何所需的资料，同时我们欢迎任何工程部的专家前来协助槟城。我们希望他可以原则上首先批准槟城兴建第三大桥，如此一来，我们不必浪费数千万令吉在细化样图设计上，换来的却可能是不批准。
林冠英