KUALA LUMPUR: The Works Ministry has suspended discussions on the application for a third Penang Bridge by the state government.
This, Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said, is due to the Penang state government's failure to submit related documents despite four prior reminders, including their failure to meet the July 22 deadline set for the submission.
"I regret to note that despite four reminders and a final deadline to submit by July 22, the Penang state government has failed to submit the required initial documents to support their application for a third Penang bridge," said Fadillah in a statement.
He said he had made statements on the issue on May 20, May 22, June 11, July 13 and July 15, reminding the Penang state government of the need to adhere to the deadline.
"I am perplexed with the failure to submit these documents to us given that the Penang government had stated that these studies costing up to RM305 million is already completed or 83 percent completed as long as three months ago, which will support their application and to assist our ministry to deliberate on the project," said Fadillah.
"Our focus is on the long term benefit to the rakyat. No authority in the world will be in a position to give approval in principle for a major infrastructure project costing billions with only a two-page letter sent to us by the Penang government."
Fadillah said that due to the repeated failures to meet the deadline, the Works Ministry viewed the application as something that is no longer viewed as urgent and has been classified as 'Keep-In-View' (KIV).
"I am not sure if this is a standard practice in Penang but this is not what our ministry practises," said Fadillah, adding that Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng has been notified of the matter.