Penang Undersea Tunnel

The Penang Undersea Tunnel is a tunnel under construction between Butterworth on the mainland and George Town on the island of Penang in northern Malaysia. Construction began in 2016. The 7.2 km tunnel will connect Butterworth, Seberang Perai in the east to George Town, Penang Island in the west. When completed in 2025, it will become the first undersea tunnel in Malaysia and the second in Southeast Asia after the Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE) in Singapore. The undersea tunnel is part of the Penang Roads and Tunnels project.

Penang Undersea Tunnel
Overview
LocationPenang, Malaysia
Route Penang Undersea Tunnel
Operation
ConstructedConsortium Zenith BUCG Sdn Bhd
OwnerState Government of Penang
Consortium Zenith BUCG Sdn Bhd
Technical
Length7.2 km
Operating speed90 km/h
Routes across Penang Strait as of 2014

The project is undertaken by the State Government of Penang and the main contractor Consortium Zenith BUCG Sdn Bhd a member of Zenith Group. With a cost of RM6.3 billion, the tunnel will be the largest privately funded public works project in Penang.[1] There will be a toll plaza and also a railway reserve for future Penang LRT at the undersea tunnel.

Controversies

Bribery

In July 2018, Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd's (CZC) senior executive director Datuk Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli confirmed that CZC has indeed paid out the RM22 million to two individuals but did not want to elaborate further.[2] In April 2019, businessman G Gnanaraja was charged with cheating Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd executive director Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli of RM19 million between July and August 2017 at various locations in Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur relating to Penang undersea tunnel project, he was arrested by the MACC.[3]

Leaked documents

In February 2019, blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin started publishing series of articles on Penang undersea tunnel corruption scandal based on leaked MACC document which alleged the former chief minister Lim Guan Eng and various Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional leaders in kickbacks amounting to hundreds of millions.[4]

UMNO secretary-general Annuar Musa called for a probe into the alleged leak of Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigation papers by Raja Petra Kamarudin.[5] Gerakan Vice President Oh Tong Keong urged Penang state executive councillors and former chief minister Lim Guan Eng should take controversial blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin to court for defamation over the latter's undersea tunnel graft allegations.[6] MCA president Wee Ka Siong urged the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to confirm the authenticity of leaked documents allegedly linked to its investigations into the Penang undersea tunnel project. MACC confirmed that it was investigating the matter and that it had opened six investigation papers on the tunnel project.[7] MACC lodged a police report in February 2019 over the leaked investigation papers.[8] Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohamed Hanipa Maidin responding in the Dewan Rakyat confirmed that MACC had lodged the report on 28 February and the matter was being investigated.[9]

List of interchanges

Tunnel side
KmExitInterchangeToRemarks
----Bagan Ajam South Interchange Butterworth Outer Ring Road Butterworth Outer Ring Road

North
Teluk Air Tawar
Butterworth
Sungai Petani
Ipoh
South
Seberang Jaya
Perai
Kulim
Gerik
Interchange
Butterworth Outer Ring Road Butterworth Outer Ring Road
Penang Undersea Tunnel
Bagan Ajam toll plaza
Penang Undersea Tunnel
North Channel, Penang		Start/End of tunnel
Penang Undersea Tunnel
North Channel, Penang
Penang Undersea Tunnel
North Channel, Penang		Start/End of tunnel
----Gurney Drive Paired Road InterchangeNorthwest
Gurney Drive Paired Road
Persiaran Gurney (Gurney Drive)
Tanjung Bungah
Batu Feringghi		Interchange
Penang Undersea Tunnel
George Town Inner Ring Road
Southwest
George Town Inner Ring Road
Town centre
Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah (Northam Road)

Gurney Drive Paired Road side
KmExitInterchangeToRemarks
----Penang Undersea Tunnel Interchange Penang Undersea Tunnel

East
Ipoh
Butterworth
Alor Setar

Southwest
George Town Inner Ring Road
Town centre
Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah (Northam Road)		Interchange
Penang Undersea Tunnel
Gurney Drive Paired Road
----Gurney Drive-PORR InterchangeSouth
Penang Outer Ring Road
Persiaran Gurney (Gurney Drive)
Batu Feringgi		Interchange

References
  1. "MalaysianInsider". Archived from the original on 7 February 2015. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  2. Mok, Opalyn (2 July 2018). "Penang tunnel project: Zenith claims 'conned' into RM22m payment to two individuals". Malay Mail. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
  3. "Businessman charged with cheating director in tunnel project arrested again". MSN. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
  4. Kamarudin, Raja Petra (23 February 2019). "FROM THE MACC FILES: Guan Eng collected 10% but AG buried the case". Malaysia Today. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
  5. Reporters, F. M. T. (26 February 2019). "Annuar urges probe into 'leak' of MACC papers on Penang tunnel project". Free Malaysia Today. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
  6. Mok, Opalyn (4 March 2019). "Just sue Raja Petra if undersea tunnel claims false, Gerakan tells Penang govt". Malay Mail. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
  7. Reporters, F. M. T. (4 March 2019). "MACC should tell if leaked papers on tunnel project are real, says MCA's Wee". Free Malaysia Today. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
  8. "MACC lodges police report over leaked papers". The Star Online. 3 March 2019. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
  9. Kaur, Minderjeet (1 April 2019). "Hanipa to Wee: Get 'MACC leak' report yourself". Free Malaysia Today. Retrieved 18 July 2019.

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