Parti Keadilan Rakyat (Keadilan) president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail has called for an independent commission of inquiry to probe the controversial RM1.02 billion Penang Outer Ring Road (Porr).

"It is time for the Penang state government to restore its accountability and credibility, since the award of the Porr project is said to have breached the code of ethics and is a clear case of conflict of interest," she said in a statement.

Wan Azizah was referring to the appointment of Ahmad Ismail - the executive chairperson of contractor Peninsular Metroworks Sdn Bhd (PMW) - into the city council's's property, construction and traffic management committees. Ahmad is also the Bukit Bendera Umno head.

Local corruption watchdog Transparency International (TI) Malaysia chairperson Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku, in a talk last Saturday, branded Porr as a "first class corruption case study", "an example of bad governance" and a "disaster".

Pay attention

The talk, themed 'Penang Lecture 2004: Governance in Search of Public Trust' held in Penang was organised by the state government think-tank Social Economic Research Institute.

"The Penang state government must pay serious attention and take prompt counter measure of Tunku Abdul Aziz's observations, especially as he was representing a local corruption watchdog," Wan Azizah said.

"Whatever government development project or privatisation project, they must be based on 'People Before Profit' principle to avoid violating public interests, and not just profiting government cronies," she added.

On the independent commission, Wan Azizah who is also MP for Permatang Pauh said it must have adequate terms of reference and consist of credible members from the ruling and opposition parties, scholars, experts, non-governmental organisations, representatives of affected groups and others to carry out investigations openly and transparently.

She also urged Penang Chief Minister Dr Koh Tsu Koon to suspend the Porr project immediately pending the independent commission of inquiry's report and explore the possibilities of other public transportation systems.

EIA report

Meanwhile, Susan Loone reports from Penang that the Central Ad-hoc No Porr Action Committee - which represents the residents directly affected by the project - has urged the contractor responsible for Porr to submit an Environmental Impact Assessment report.

Committee coordinator Linda Lim called on PMW to publicise the report so that the public can review and comment on it.

"Then the state government should set up a panel of independent experts with proven integrity to review the project from all aspects," she said.

"The appointment of the experts should be made transparently," she added.

The project has met stiff resistence from many social interests groups such as Penang-based social reform movement Aliran which claimed that the objections were based on lack of transparency, conflict of interest as well as the lack of experience, management and financial skills of the contractor.

Two former MCA Penang state assemblypersons - Tan Cheng Liang (Jawi) and Lim Boo Chang (Dato Keramat) - were suspended for more than six months last year for abstaining from voting on an opposition motion to defer Porr.