Ready to talk: Wee says since he is now the MCA president, Lim can debate him.
PETALING JAYA: Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong has issued a fresh challenge to Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng to debate the Penang undersea tunnel project.
He said Lim had previously rejected his bid to hold a debate on the matter with the contention that Dr Wee was not the MCA president at the time.
“I am now the MCA president and, according to Lim, he can debate me.
“However, if Lim continues to chicken out by giving other excuses, I do not mind debating Chow Kon Yeow in his capacity as the Penang Chief Minister, ” he said.
In March last year, Lim turned down Dr Wee’s challenge as he would not debate with MCA’s “number two”.
Dr Wee also criticised Chow’s earlier statement that the cost of the project would remain at RM6.34bil.
He questioned how a project that was tagged at RM6.34bil six years ago would still cost the same in 2026, which is when the construction is expected to begin.
It would appear that inflation and increase in land prices in Penang were not taken into account, he said.
The state government is paying for the mega project via a land swap of 44.5ha of reclaimed land in Seri Tanjung Pinang and a toll concession for the tunnel for at least 30 years.
On Wednesday, Dr Wee also questioned why the Penang government did not take any action against the contractors building the tunnel despite it being years late in delivery.
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