Gerakan has urged the state government to reveal the details of its RM305 million study being carried out for three major roads on the island and the proposed undersea tunnel, or ‘Third Link’, that will connect the island with Butterworth on the mainland.

The cost for the study is “staggering” as the people are not aware of its details and outcome of the projects, Gerakan’s national legal and human rights bureau chief Baljit Singh said today.

“Are you going on a trip to the moon and back to do this study? For the sake of transparency and accountability, please reveal the details,” he told the state government.

"Please also reveal the plots of land that will be alienated to the developer for the payment of the study," Baljit ( right ) added in a statement to Malaysiakini .

He was referring to the announcement in the Penang Legislative Assembly yesterday by state executive council member Lim Hock Seng that the cost of the study for a detailed design and evaluation of the impacts of these projects on the environment would be RM305,003,880.

Hock Seng said the cost of the study on the Third Link is RM96,248,000, while the remaining RM208,755,080 would be payment for the three major roads off Jalan Utama, which are to ease traffic congestion on the island.

One payment has been made made

He said state government has handed over the ownership of Lot 702, Section 1 of Bandar Tanjung Pinang, which costs RM135,086,094 as payment for the study on the three roads off Jalan Utama.

“The state government has yet to hand over the ownership of any land as payment for the study on the Third Link. Any plot of land ownership given will be for payment in place of cash to Consortium Zenith BUCG Sdn Bhd, the developer of the project,” he added.

Hock Seng ( right ) said this in reply to a question posed by Yap Soo Huey (DAP-Pulau Tikus) in the state assembly, where Soo Huey asked whether a plot of reclaimed land on Gurney Drive was to be handed over to the developer as payment to build the undersea tunnel.

According to Soo Huey, a condominium is supposed to be built on the land and the units would be sold for profit.

She then asked if the state government would re-acquire the plot of land or build a condominium on it if the undersea tunnel is not good enough for use.

Hock Seng said the plot of land could not be re-acquired by the state government even if the Third Link was found to be not suitable for use.

Later, when asked to respond to Baljit’s comment, Hock Seng said those who were shocked by the sum involved do not understand the kind of study that was being done, or the details of research.

Asked to reveal the details, he said one could apply for the details of the study by using the provisions under Penang’s Freedom of Information Act.