Penang water crisis: PN claims embezzlement behind delayed projects
PN accuses government of deliberately halting water projects in Penang
NIBONG TEBAL - Perikatan Nasional's (PN) Badrul Hisham Shaharin and Md Razis Abdul Rahman have accused the government of deliberately halting water projects, leading to allegations of money embezzlement.
“The water crisis in Penang has been ongoing not just for a few years, but since 2013.
"One of the projects was completed within a few years due to pressure from the Opposition when Abang Zam (Sungai Bakap late assemblyman Nor Zamri Latiff) was the assemblyman.
“We suspect money embezzlement is involved.
"YB Zairil Khir Johari’s (Penang infrastructure, transport and digital committee chairman) calculations revealed that the government used 75 per cent of the budget for the four-phase water project, with RM24.6 million allocated for the first phase, leaving very little for the remaining three phases,” Badrul, who is also known as Chegubard told reporters at Seberang Perai Selatan district police headquarters here today.
Badrul announced that two police reports would be lodged by local residents, addressing both the water project issue and the tunnel project corruption cases, which involved a bribery sum of RM19 million paid to businessman G.Gnanaraja.
“We urge the police to conclude this major scandal,” he said adding that the government has never been serious about solving the people’s problems, citing the ongoing water crisis and unfinished projects as examples.
Lim is facing four corruption charges involving the proposed construction of an undersea tunnel and paired roads project in Penang.
On the first charge, Lim is alleged to have abused his power as then Penang chief minister to obtain RM3.3 million in monetary gratification as an inducement to appoint Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd (CZCSB) director Datuk Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli's company to implement the RM6,341,383,702 undersea tunnel project and construction of main roads in the state.
He is alleged to have committed the offence between January 2011 and August 2017 at the Penang Chief Minister’s Office.
On the second amended charge, Lim is accused of asking Zarul for 10 per cent of profits as a reward for helping his company secure the said projects.
Lim is alleged to have committed the offence at The Gardens Hotel, Lingkaran Syed Putra, Mid Valley City here, between 12.30am and 2am in March 2011.
He is also facing two other charges for dishonestly disposing of two plots of land belonging to the Penang government in Bandar Tanjong Pinang worth RM208 million to the developer of the undersea tunnel project, which was allegedly committed at the State Land and Mines Office in Komtar on February 17, 2015, and March 22, 2017.
