Second Penang bridge: ‘UEM making outrageous demands’
By Rahmah Ghazali, Free Malaysia Today
KUALA LUMPUR: UEM Builders Bhd has been making “outrageous” demands for financial assistance for the construction of the second Penang bridge, a state assemblyman charged today.
And the federal government is bowing to this government-linked company, said Sim Tze Tzin, Pantai Jerejak PKR state assemblyman.
He said the matter came to light after a “whistle-blower” produced a confidential letter from UEM to the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) soon after Pakatan Rakyat took over Penang two years ago.
Sim, who showed the letter to reporters in Parliament, said the letter, dated Aug 8, 2007, was signed by UEM chief executive officer Ahmad Pardas Senin and was addressed to EPU’s director-general Dr Sulaiman Mahmod.
Sim (centre) said the contents of the letter revealed, among other things, that UEM has asked for financial assistance to the tune of RM22 billion to build the bridge although the actual cost of the project is only RM4 billion.
“This is a very outrageous demand and the federal government has complied with it. We are afraid that the federal government would blindly agree to all other kinds of assistance requested by UEM,” he said.
“The letter is genuine. So far, any request from UEM has been complied with by the federal government,” he added.
In the letter, UEM has also asked for a concession period of 45 years, including seeking government soft loan and grant.
