Penang welcomes Works Minister's help with third bridge project

The Penang Government has welcomed Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof's offer to help the state government with the proposed third bridge project.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said he would meet Fadillah to discuss the proposed project.

"I will look at this in a positive aspect by not questioning his sincerity to help the Penang Government.

"I welcome his help and I will be writing to him to set out the details, the issues involved and also express my willingness to meet him so that he can assist us," he told a press conference here Friday.

Lim was responding to Fadillah's statement Thursday that the ministry had yet to receive any update on the feasibility and detailed design studies for Penang's proposed undersea tunnel or third bridge project.

Fadillah said in May last year, the Penang Government had written to the ministry to request for approval for the third bridge without providing a single piece of supporting document.

Therefore, he said the ministry wished to express certain concerns about the project and offered assistance to the state government, should they need it.

Lim hoped the ministry would give the state approval for its proposed third bridge first and the details would be submitted later as it was very expensive to come up with detailed designs for the project.

Commenting on Fadillah's claim that the state government had delayed in completing the feasibility studies for the undersea tunnel, the chief minister said this was due to the delay in the land reclamation masterplan. --Bernama