Penang govt urged to come clean on cost of Transport Master Plan

The Penang Federal Action Council today demanded that the state government reveal the exact amount that will be spent for the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP).

Its chairman, Datuk Seri Zainal Abidin Osman said that according to Gamuda, which is the major shareholder in the project delivery partner for PTMP, SRS consortium, at its latest annual general meeting stated that there was no price hike in executing the PTMP.

"Gamuda had said that it was not aware of the price hike from RM27 billion to RM46 billion for the PTMP. The state government had previously said that the cost of the entire PTMP had ballooned to RM46 billion.

"Reveal to the people of Penang on the actual cost of this mega project," Zainal Abidin said at a press conference, here, today.

Previously, Gamuda Bhd group managing director Datuk Lin Yun Ling said he was unaware that the proposed PTMP's original cost of RM27 billion had now exceeded RM40 billion.

The state plans to fund the entire PTMP by reclaiming three islands in Permatang Damar Laut totalling 1,698 hectares (4,200 acres) via a land swap deal.

At the press conference, Zainal Abidin also questioned the feasibility studies and traffic forecast that are currently being conducted to evaluate the PTPM.

"We need to know who is conducting the studies. Is it a hired researcher from an established firm or is it the developer itself? If the studies are conducted by the developer, the findings will be lopsided as they have special interest in the project," he said.

PTMP is a mega transport plan that consists of the light rail transit (LRT) system, monorail and several roads across the state and to connect the island and mainland.

Meanwhile, Zainal Abidin who is also the chairman of the state Implementation and Coordination Unit (ICU) of the Prime Minister's Department, voiced his concern over the projected increase in population if the three islands are reclaimed.

"If the three islands to be reclaimed are projected to have 300,000 residents, the state's population density will increase to 17,000 per square kilometre. It is the same with Hong Kong. It will have a huge implication on Penangites," he said.

Currently, the population density is approximately 2,600 per square kilometre. - BERNAMA