A DAP leader has hit back at Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak saying the Penang tunnel project had gone through an open tender process, unlike Putrajaya's MRT.

DAP national publicity secretary Tony Pua said Najib's attacks were “shameless”, particularly in criticising the cost of the tunnel as being too expensive compared to the Klang Valley MRT project.

“I have only one response to the wild allegation. The contract for the tunnel and the highways in Penang were offered [...] through open tender.

“On the other hand, the MRT contract worth about RM30 billion was awarded to Gamuda with direct negotiations, without any open tender,” said Pua in a statement today.

“Najib is so desperate these days that he has to resort to baseless slander.

“Malaysians are truly ashamed as we celebrate our 60th year of independence, to be led by a prime minister who has no integrity,” he said.

Yesterday Najib on his blog slammed the opposition for criticising the MRT, saying the "hilarious part" is that things are allegedly beginning to unravel in the states under opposition control.

Apart from the Penang tunnel, the prime minister also alluded to Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's bungalow purchase and several other issues as examples of the opposition's own scandals.

Pot calling kettle?

Najib claimed the tunnel project was being built at “many times higher than what it should cost”, asking, “Where has all the money gone?”

Pua rebutted saying Najib was “the most shameless leader in the world” for having the audacity to make such statements while his own administration is plagued with scandal.

“He dares to compare the lies over Lim's purchase of his bungalow with the scandals he and his family are linked to involving 1MDB dan SRC International.”

Pua said Lim had purchased his bungalow at RM2.8 million, a price that was in line with the salary of a chief minister, and had even taken a bank loan for his first purchase of a Penang property.

“But what is most important, is Lim openly and repeatedly denied the slander. He was prepared to challenge the allegations by MACC with solid proof.

“In turn, I would like to ask if the purchase of US$27.3 million (RM117 million) worth of jewellery […] in line with the salary of a prime minister's family?” Pua asked.

“As far as we know, the salary of a prime minister is approximately RM600,000 per annum.

“Najib would have to be prime minister for 200 years before he can afford such diamonds,” he said.

Pua added two months have passed since the allegation raised by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) in its third forfeiture suit related to money laundering, and neither Najib nor his wife Rosmah Mansor has publicly denied the claims.

He said it is very clear that Lim shows courage because he speaks the truth, “while the Najib-Rosmah pair remain quiet”, which he said was revealing.

The US authorities' latest batch of court filings has raised the amount it seeks to recover from 1MDB-related misconduct to nearly US$1.7 billion (RM7.3 billion).

It claimed that the sum represents a portion of the over US$4.5 billion (RM19.3 billion) that were allegedly misappropriated from 1MDB, and then routed through the US financial system.

The court documents include claims that the donations that a "Malaysian Official 1" had supposedly returned to a Saudi prince had been used to purchase jewellery for Malaysian Official 1’s wife, including a necklace featuring a 22-carat pink diamond pendant.