LIM PROPOSED UNDERSEA TUNNEL AS IT REQUIRED FEWER FEDERAL GOVT APPROVALS - WITNESS

KUALA LUMPUR, April 14 (Bernama) -- A former director of Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd (CZCSB) informed the Sessions Court today that Lim Guan Eng had recommended an undersea tunnel, as it would require fewer Federal government approvals. 

Datuk Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli, 66, said the former Penang chief minister had also explained that, unlike bridge construction, which involved numerous federal approvals, the tunnel project would be more straightforward.

"At the time, Penang was under opposition rule, so he (Lim) suggested that we proceed with a tunnel instead of a bridge," he said during re-examination by deputy public prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin in Lim's corruption trial involving four charges related to the construction of major roads and an undersea tunnel in the state.

Zarul Ahmad testified that he became aware of the project's inclusion in a request for proposal (RFP) following a meeting held on July 11, 2011.

"According to the minutes of that meeting, all the proposed mega projects were to be consolidated into a single RFP document, as each component was interrelated.

“Consequently, Beijing Urban Construction Group Sdn Bhd (BUCG) was not required to prepare separate RFP drafts for each project," he said.

Wan Shaharuddin: In this case, there are four projects. Typically, how many RFPs are issued per project?

Zarul Ahmad: Normally, one project would require one RFP. Since there are four projects, there should have been four separate RFPs.

The 23rd prosecution witness agreed that his company had an advantage in preparing the RFP, as it was assisted by state government officials.

Wan Shaharuddin: What advantage did you gain from the meetings on May 10, 2011, and July 11, 2011?

Zarul Ahmad: From those meetings, particularly the one on July 11, 2011, it was clear that both parties were working together to prepare the RFP in anticipation of the tenders being called. 

On Feb 28, Zarul Ahmad testified that the Penang state government proceeded to include the construction of three major roads and an undersea tunnel in the RFP document, despite anticipated challenges in conducting the feasibility study.

Regarding a parcel of state land identified as Lot 702, the 23rd prosecution witness testified that the late Datuk Ewe Swee Kheng, a close associate of Lim, had informed him that Lim had instructed Ewe to contact Zarul to discuss the matter.

“Lim asked Ewe to reach out to me to secure my commitment, as the land was to be given to me,” said Zarul Ahmad, adding that the land was subsequently awarded to him in 2015.

According to the amended first charge, Lim, 64, is accused, in his capacity as the then chief minister of Penang, of abusing his position to receive a bribe of RM3.3 million to assist a company owned by Zarul Ahmad in securing the Major Roads and Undersea Tunnel Construction Project in Penang, valued at RM6,341,383,702.

Under the amended second charge, Lim is accused of soliciting a 10 percent bribe out of the project’s future profits from Zarul Ahmad for assisting his company in securing the same project.

The solicitation allegedly took place near The Gardens Hotel, Lingkaran Syed Putra, Mid Valley City, between 12.30 am and 2.00 am in March 2011.

Additionally, Lim faces two charges of disposing of a couple of state-owned lots of land in Penang, valued at RM208.8 million, to a developer linked to the undersea tunnel project.

These offences were allegedly committed at the Penang Land and Mines Office, Komtar, on Feb 17, 2015, and March 22, 2017.

The trial before Judge Azura Alwi is set to resume tomorrow.

-- BERNAMA