Wee invites Lims to debate tunnel issue

PETALING JAYA: Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong has extended his invite to debate the Penang undersea tunnel controversy to DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang following accusations that his (Dr Wee) exposé is being directed by unseen hands.

The MCA deputy president said MCA has sent an invite to Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to a forum on the controversy slated today at 7.30pm and would like to forward the same invitation to Kit Siang.

“In fact, I welcome Kit Siang to come meet me face-to-face and test my knowledge on this subject himself. Let Kit Siang find out if I am taking scripts from anyone,” Dr Wee said in a statement yesterday.

Dr Wee said his expose on the RM20.5bil tunnel is based on his expertise and not from a script as he is a trained civil engineer with a doctorate in transportation planning.

He said his professional career prior to politics was specialising in feasibility, traffic impact assessment (TIA) and environmental impact assessment (EIA) for civil projects.

“In wrongly accusing me of taking directions to question his son, Kit Siang had also avoided answering whether he will come to the forum instead of his son and explain to the audience why he believes my findings of RM20.5bil is wrong,” Wee said.

He added that he wants an apology from Kit Siang over the accusation or would reserve his right to take legal action.

The infrastructure project came under renewed scrutiny by Barisan following a fresh probe by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in January.

The proposed 7.2km undersea tunnel will connect George Town’s Pangkor Road and Bagan Ajam in Butterworth. It is scheduled to begin in 2023.

The “three main roads” stretch from Air Itam to the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway (5.7km), Tanjung Bungah to Teluk Bahang (10.53km), and Jalan Pangkor-Gurney Drive junction to Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway (4.1km).