Works Minister S Samy Vellu's response that the controversial alignment of the Penang Outer Ring Road project should be amended to avoid disruption to residential areas and cemeteries has been viewed with mixed feelings by the opposition.

Keadilan Penang deputy chairperson Cheah Kah Peng said he feared that the statement issued by the minister in Penang yesterday was "just another make-belief show" put up by the government.

Urging the public to scrutinise the amendments carefully, Cheah said he hoped that the changes would not only be cosmetic to appease Penangites and the opposition.

"There must be real amendments on the PORR alignment in order to solve environmental, ecological, economical, cultural and residential problems faced by the people.

"This is because issues arising from PORR have drawn immense anguish and outcry from Penangites over the past few weeks," he said in press statement today.

Yesterday, the northern edition of The Star reported that Samy said he had instructed the concessionaire, Peninsular Metro-Works Sdn Bhd, to amend parts of the proposed 17km highway to avoid disruption to residential areas and cemeteries.