Penang EPU to produce measures to speed up 2nd bridge construction

GEORGE TOWN, Fri: 

The Penang Government has directed the state Economic Planning Unit and other authorities to come up with measures to expedite the construction of the Second Penang Bridge. This follows an assurance by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng on Thursday that the federal government would not discriminate against Penang and would continue to co-operate with the state on projects that would benefit the people.

Lim said he would request for a report from the state EPU and the relevant agencies on the status of land acquisition for the project after a meeting with Tan Sri Zaini Omar, the head of the task force for the implementation of the second crossing next week.

"We hope to address and sort out whatever delays which may affect the completion of the bridge. We will make sure the bridge opens to motorists as scheduled in January 2011," he told a Press conference in his office in Komtar today. Representatives of the World Lim Clan Youth Association had earlier called on him.

Lim was also asked to comment on a sms being circulated for the past few weeks, implicating the former state government of alleged land scams.

He said if the previous administration, headed by Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon, was unhappy about the contents, he should lodge a police report.
"All we know is that the new state government never made any allegation against Koh and we don't know how all this arises. If Koh feels he is wrongly done, he should lodge a report to find out the culprit behind the sms," he said.

The sms implied that the former state government under Koh had transferred a 1.52ha piece of land in Rifle Range with the Penang Island Municipal Council as the registered owner, to an individual.

Asked if he would follow Perak's move to convert temporary occupation licence holders in new villages to permanent land titles, Lim said he needed to study the matter.

"It can be done but we need to carefully study it first. This is because land is extremely priceless in Penang owing to its scarcity ... if we can share any benefit with the people, we will definitely do it," he said.

Perak Menteri Besar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin had said on Thursday that about 10,000 temporary occupation licence holders in 134 new villages would receive permanent land titles.

--NST