GEORGE TOWN: Penang DAP today launched a mass signature campaign, demanding the federal government reinstate four infrastructure projects it cancelled over the past year.
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The four projects are the RM100 million Penang Hill cable car project, the RM800 million Penang International Airport (PIA) expansion project, the federal government loan guarantee for the construction of the Penang Light Rail Transit (LRT) system and the iconic Penang ferry.
The Penang LRT system was to ease the chronic traffic congestion and improve connectivity between the island and the mainland in Seberang Prai.
The cancellation of the four important infrastructure projects, according to state DAP, is estimated to cost Penangites billions of ringgit in financial losses, as well as inflict adverse socio-economic impacts.
The campaign will go on until the federal government reinstates all the said infrastructure projects.
State DAP chairman Chow Kon Yeow said the cancellation of the four projects, which are crucial for Penang’s development, was testimony that Penang had always been side-lined by the federal government.
“These are projects which the people of Penang want, as evident in their continuous support for the Pakatan Harapan state government in the 14th General Election (GE14).
“With the cancellation of the infrastructure projects, we feel a great sense of loss.
“With this mass signature campaign, we want to send a clear message to the federal government to reinstate the four important projects, in line with the people’s wishes,” he said at the state DAP headquarters here today.
Providing the latest development on the four infrastructure projects, Chow, who is also Penang Chief Minister, said Penang Hill Corporation is expected to call for a tender for the cable car project next week.
“Through the tender, PHC hopes to encourage the private sector to also bid for the project. It is the state’s hope that this project can be continued through a PFI (private finance initiative),” he added.
The federal government had announced in April that allocation for the project had been cancelled.
As for the airport expansion, Chow said all the necessary approvals had been obtained and they were waiting to start work.
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He said he had spoken to Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong to exclude the PIA expansion project from the National Airport Strategic Plan (NASP) study.
Last August, when responding to a question in Parliament with regards to the PIA, Wee had said that the Covid-19 pandemic had severely affected Malaysia’s tourism industry and aviation sector, reflected in the significant drop in the number of passengers at airports throughout the country.
He said this when explaining the reason why the expansion and upgrading works involving several airports including PIA were stopped pending the NASP study, which is due for completion in 2023.
On the federal government withdrawing its loan guarantee for the construction of the Penang LRT system, Chow admitted that it had affected Penang’s plans, which now needed to look for other avenues.
“The guarantee is as good as a grant for the state to implement the LRT system. Following the withdrawal, we need to relook our financial planning. We need to relook at other methods such as embarking on the reclamation project in the southern part of the state first.
“Despite the challenges, we will do our best to realise the projects, not only for the benefit of Penang but the northern region and Malaysia as a whole.
“All these projects are needed at a time when we are facing the Covid-19 pandemic to stimulate economic growth,” he added.
On the ferry, Chow said state Infrastructure Committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari would make an announcement on the matter soon.
Meanwhile, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said some 1.6 million Penangites were at the losing end with the cancellation of the infrastructure projects.
“I see this as political vengeance to victimise the people of Penang due to political differences, and three of the projects are linked to Wee.
“As such, I hope the people will support this signature campaign until all the projects are reinstated,” he added.- NST