BN strategic director Abdul Rahman Dahlan is back to haunt the Penang government again with his questions over the undersea tunnel which links Gurney Drive to Butterworth on the mainland.

This time, Rahman refuted claims by Penang executive councillor Lim Hock Seng that he had responded to all the questions raised by him.

He was referring to the three questions on the undersea tunnel that Lim had responded to.

Rahman corrected Lim and said there were four questions which he raised, with the latest on May 24.

Lim had a press conference on May 25 to say it was the last time that he will respond to Rahman.

He accused Lim of giving "inaccurate and confusing answers".

"Twisting his words is not the same as giving satisfactory answers to the questions I raised," said the urban wellbeing, housing and local government minister.

He cited an example where he questioned whether the land given to Consortium Zenith-BUCG (CZBUCG) - the company awarded to build the tunnel - was sold immediately or agreed to be sold at a price between RM845 - RM1,300 per square feet.

He claimed to have submitted proof on the land sale.

"Without giving any clarification, Lim insisted that the Valuation and Property Services Department had evaluated the land at RM475 per square feet.

"After he was urged several times, Lim gave a shocking answer that any land sale and transaction between CZBUCG and a third party was a 'secret transaction'," Rahman said.

He described the reply from Lim (photo) as "irresponsible" as the Penang government had made payment and agreed to transfer the state land to the private company, where the latter had quickly sold the land to a third party at three times the price.

Toll-free third bridge

Rahman also reminded Lim of the state's plan to impose toll charges for the tunnel for 30 years.

"Such arrangement had never been done in any concession agreement whether in Malaysia or in the world," he claimed.

"But when asked whether the entire cost of the tunnel construction will be paid via a land swap, Lim gave different answers."

"At first he said Penang lacked the expertise to handle the tunnel but he later said that the company will also pay for the construction and needed the toll collection as returns for their investments," Rahman recalled.

He said only after being pressured, did Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng made a U-turn and said he was willing to forgo the tunnel and build a toll-free third bridge with RM2 billion if the federal government approves it.

However Guan Eng has failed to reveal any documents pertaining to his application to the federal government to built a bridge, said Rahman.

The chief minister had earlier said that toll charges would be imposed on the tunnel as Penang does not wish to sabotage the first and second bridge.

"With his willingness now to build a toll-free bridge, does it mean that he has now changed and not bothered about sabotaging the second bridge?" Rahman asked.

Meanwhile, he insisted that Lim must still respond to his questions and those raised by Parti Cinta Malaysia vice-president Huan Cheng Guan.

Huan claimed that the RM208 million engineering cost for the three highways (20km) is 11 percent than the construction cost.

"This is five times higher than the 2.54 percent agreed by the Malaysian Engineering Board and the Public Works Ministry," said Rahman.

CZBUCG chairperson Zarul Ahmad has initiated legal action against Huan for allegedly defaming him and causing damage to the reputation of his company.