Citizen journalist Jimmy Leow reports on an abandoned highway project in Balik Pulau (from Teluk Kumbar to Pekan Genting) which many of us may not even be aware of.
The signboard clearly says it is a “Projek Kerajaan Barisan Nasional” undertaken for the Works Ministry, directed by the JKR, contracted out to a private firm. It was supposed to have been completed by September 2008.
Blog reader mamu_tanjung reports:
The project has been abandoned for more than two years. I know – I live close by and travel to Balik Pulau almost every Saturday morning for my regular Kari Kepala Ikan at the Restoran Peladang. The last I heard this federally-funded project has gone “bankrupt”.
I don’t think Dr Hilmy, the ex-MP for Balik Pulau, cares to see through its completion now that Yusmadi from PKR is the MP. (Yusmadi – where are you by the way and what is the status of this project?! )
The Bayan Lepas/Tlk Kumbar road jam is horrible – two to three kilometres long at its peak to and fro. The stretch is in critical need of an expansion and a flyover across the Bayan Lepas pekan.
This is where the money should have been spent given the traffic volume differentials: high-volume Bayan Lepas/Tlk Kumbar vs low-volume Tlk Kumbar/Genting/Balik Pulau. Yet the money (RM58 million if I remember correctly) went to the low-volume Tlk Kumbar/Genting/Balik Pulau road. Baffling, is it not?
But then again : Bee End, what is there to be baffled?
Citizen journalist Lilian responds:
We, the CJs including Jimmy who took the video, had met up with MP Yusmadi. MP Yusmadi has brought up this issue in Parliament and he told us he had urged Pak Lah to take this as a priority. Lives are at stake because of the bad road, Balik Pulau folks are suffering due to the longer travel time as there are so many traffic lights and flag bearers. We are trying to get an appointment with BN Adun Farid and have forwarded the issue to CM Lim Guan Eng.
If anyone really cares….please ask JKR for the status report. We are unable to do that because we CJs are merely working people and we do not have time off during working hours to travel to Balik Pulau to wait for JKR cooperation. If anyone of you is from Balik Pulau, please do try to follow up because these are all our issues.
Blog reader Juan Taman adds:
It is interesting to know that Penang has money to waste building a road leading to nowhere and Johor is waiting for the crooked bridge to be completed. Whereas in other parts of Malaysia (East Malaysia) rural folks are yearning for clean water supply and electricity which are their basic needs for modern living.
What an irony within a nation after 50 years of independence!
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is our Penang Gov especially LimGE aware this abandon project? He should investigate it. anyone can help to pass this message to YB Lim?
… idiots BN punya kerja
Obviously the funds all gone…and the buayas are getting away. Good that this is being highlighted so that it can be highlighted as a major issue for Penanti by-election. Yes, I do have many relatives in Balik Pulau, Genting and Telok Kumbar. BN has been taking the rakyat for a ride for too long – semua buaya besar-besar! Penang could have been such a tourist attraction for travellers from around the world. However, I hope LGE will make it really happen on day although things are getting harder these days with world wide recession. I would suggest more of these… Read more »
Read..project was abandon 2 years ago right…opposition only took over a year ago. So it was another scandal??
Who screams at the present govt to ignore past deeds..& focus on economic development? Was it the Gerakan or UMNO that fear all their darkside revealed..
I vote for ..DIG DEEPER & its the only way to overcome & improvise.
Yup. It confirms Koh Tsu Koon and his hanky panky projects. Wonder how many unknown and incomplete projects are still hidden. He need to explain to the people of Penang.
“Satu lagi Projek Koh Tsu Koon yang perlu keterangan kpd rakyat”
Do a search for the contractor… Bulkers Corporation Sdn. Bhd.
The address doesn’t match, no website, and there doesn’t seem to be any record of major infrastructure projects by these guys. In fact, they are in the shipping business.
There must be some shady stuff behind this whole thing… how can an unknown company be given such a major & complex project?
Replying to Mamu_tanjung… We, the CJs including Jimmy who took the video had met up with MP Yusmadi. MP Yusmadi has brought up this issue in Parliament and he told us he had urged Pak Lah to take this as a priority. Lives are at stake because of the bad road, Balik Pulau folks are suffering due to the longer travel time as there are so many traffic lights and flags bearer. We are trying to get an appointment with BN ADun Farid and also have forwarded the issue to CM Lim Guan Eng. If anyone really cares….please ask JKR… Read more »
The internet is really a marvelous thing. It is bringing out all the things that the authorities don’t want us to know. This one complete with video. Let’s hope that we can get an answer.
It is interesting to know that Penang has money to waste building road leading to nowhere and Johor waiting for the crooked bridge to be completed. Whereas in other parts of Malaysia (East Malaysia) rural folks are yearning for clean water supply and electricity which are their basic needs for a modern living.
What an irony within a nation after 50 yrs of independence!
90% of taxpayers r … cinas !!
The contractor for the project “Gulung Tikar”. Probably spent his loans/ capital on other non-productive stuff first, subsequently unable to complete the task.
If the Federal Government really wants to complete the project, it will – a fresh contractor can be brought in, cost overrun, of course, but that’s the usual story with Government projects.
After Penang fell to PR hands post March 08, 2008, , there’s no political interest for the Works Ministry to restart the job.
If I am not mistaken, the contractor for most BN project are almost 100% financed eventhough work might have just started. So in this case. I assume the contractor might have used up the fund for this project to finance his other project which are near expiry date (handover date). Just like the Apom seller where he has many small wok….only in this case many covers are missing making it impossible to cover all the wok at the same time. In Penang we say ‘Pu Apong’….
Why is a project paid with tax-payers money labelled as a BN project? What kind of lie is this?
I am going to make a guess: bumi contractor already collected money bought mercedes benz and bangalow and 3rd and 4th wife, now no money for project so it is moving at snails pace???
Who wants to bet that I am right
Anil, The project has been abandoned for more than 2 years. I know – I stay close by and travel to BP almost every Saturday morning for my regular Kari Kepala Ikan at the Restoran Peladang. The last I heard this federally-funded project that has gone “bankrupt”. I dont think Dr Hilmy, the ex-MP for Balik Pulau, cares to see through its completion now that Yusmadi from PKR is the MP. (Yusmadi – where the h*** are you by the way and what is the status of this project??????!!! ) The Bayan Lepas/Tlk Kumbar road jam is horrible, 2 to… Read more »
JKR is also under BN.
hehehehe
Anil maybe should check who was awarded this contract.
obviously is when the penang fall in the hand of PR, the BN had abandon it and leave it to PR to solve it. irresponsible!!!
I was wondering when someone was going to bring this up. Must be a Federal project which the gormen should answer. I have seen this highway since the last many years and it seems to be going nowhere.
Please dig and dig and I am sure you will find the scandal, another misadventure of public funds!!!!
How sure are you that it’s abandoned? On my last travel there, I noted there were some work going on, albeit at an extremely slow pace.
With Balik Pulau & Penang in opposition hands, probably highway will not continue