Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has strongly denied saying that Chinese firm China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) is a shareholder in the undersea tunnel project's special purpose vehicle (SPV), Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd.

"MCA minister Wee Ka Siong made it look like he discovered something new when he supposedly revealed that CRCC is not a shareholder in Zenith.  

"But when have I said that CRCC is Zenith's shareholder?" Lim asked at a press conference in Komtar today.

"We have always maintained that CRCC is the project's main contractor. They have signed an agreement and another acknowledgement of commitment with us to ensure they will see the project to its end," he added.

"It is MCA that keeps insisting that CRCC is the shareholder!"

Lim was responding to Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai (photo), who met with CRCC officials in China on the undersea tunnel issue.

Liow later issued a statement saying CRCC is the project's main contractor and not a shareholder of the SPV.

He also said that CRCC was concerned why the Penang government claimed it was a shareholder.

Lim also screened a video clip of the signing ceremony of the agreement and acknowledgement of commitment between CRCC, Zenith and the Penang government in 2013 at the press conference.

"Even during this time, we never said CRCC is a shareholder. We only said it is the main contractor," Lim added.

The 7.2km undersea tunnel project to link the island on Gurney Drive with Butterworth on the mainland includes three major connecting highways, which will cost RM6.3 billion.

Construction is slated to start in 2023 and be completed by 2027. Currently, the feasibility study for the tunnel is 92 percent complete.

Lim has reiterated that the project was awarded to Zenith via an open tender committee chaired by state secretary Farizan Darus.

"MCA tried to drag the state secretary in the matter by saying that he said it (that CRCC is a shareholder). Please do not drag him into this slander as he is a government servant and should not be involved in this political matter.

"Criticise me, not the state secretary. Go for me if I have made a mistake. Criticise me. Up to now, they cannot show proof when I said CRCC is a shareholder," he added.

The undersea tunnel project is now under a major investigation by the MACC, which has questioned more than 70 people and detained four high-ranking executives involved in the project.

Lim has described the "interference" in the project by MCA and Gerakan as sabotage against Penang's efforts to resolve the state's traffic woes.

He also chided Wee, who is MCA deputy president, for making numerous remarks on the tunnel project when it was still under the MACC investigation.

"How can he make such comments when the matter is still under probe?"