Koh refutes ‘scandalous’ allegations
GEORGE TOWN: Former Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Khoon has lashed out at a state executive councillor over claims that the previous Barisan Nasional administration had a “scandalous” agreement with a developer over the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway.
Koh said state Local Government and Traffic Management Commit-tee chairman Chow Kon Yeow’s statement was extremely misleading.
He explained that the project was originally planned as a Central Development District for the 21st Century (CDD21) by Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu in the 80s but it was not implemented due to the 1986-1987 economic downturn.
“Subsequently in 1992, the state government under me decided to implement the project through privatisation by tender.
“Several terms had been set out for the developer including allowing them to reclaim a certain amount of land which they would then own.
“IJM Group offered the smallest area (131.5ha) to be reclaimed compared to other developers (between 202ha and 404ha),” he said.
Koh added that IJM also offered to build a total of 5,500 low-cost and low medium-cost units compared to the others who were offering fewer than 3,000.
“I want to express that the entire process was very open and transparent. We chose the developer based on the best tender.”
He then went on to say that Chow’s allegations that the developer of the expressway could get up to RM5bil in development value was misleading and ridiculous.
“I want to question how Chow came to that figure. You cannot simply pick a figure from the air and make it a fact.
“The development value of the project should also be taken at the 1997 price, not the current price,” he said.
Koh estimated the development value for the expressway, previously known as the Jelutong Expressway, at 1997 to be RM656.5mil.
“The agreement was signed in 1997 and the implementation started in 2003. Why didn’t the DAP as the Opposition then raise this issue?
“Why did the DAP as the present state government for the past three-and-a-half years only ‘discovered’ and ‘exposed’ this ‘scandal’ now?” he asked.
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