The Penang government has given its assurances that there will be no increase in the cost of the Jalan Bukit Kukus project. - NSTP/ZUHAINY ZULKIFFLI.
The Penang government has given its assurances that there will be no increase in the cost of the Jalan Bukit Kukus project. - NSTP/ZUHAINY ZULKIFFLI.

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang government has given its assurances that there will be no increase in the cost of the Jalan Bukit Kukus project.

Penang Gerakan chairman Oh Tong Keong recently claimed that the cost of the Bukit Kukus paired road project had increased from RM275 million to RM545 million.

State Infrastructure and Transport Committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari said Oh's statement revealed how "less eloquent" the latter was about the project.

Explaining, he said the project was divided into three parts, all of which are implemented by different parties, namely PLB Land Sdn Bhd, Geo Valley Sdn Bhd and the Penang island City Council (MBPP).

He said the portion to be implemented by the MBPP was further divided into three other parts, namely:

* upgrading a 600m stretch of Jalan Bukit Kukus between Lebuhraya Thean Teik and Lorong Semarak Api 3 including upgrading the 450m stretch along Lebuhraya Thean Teik, which was fully completed on Jan 14, 2017;

* upgrading part of Jalan Bukit Kukus between Tingkat Paya Terubong 1 and Lorong Bukit Kukus stretching 600m which was fully completed on Jan 14, 2017; and

* building the main alignment of Jalan Bukit Kukus stretching 1.6km and the Tun Sardon Link from Jalan Bukit Kukus to Jalan Tun Sardon stretching 500m as well as to upgrade Lebuh Bukit Jambul which will be completed at the end of this year.

This, said Zairil, had been explained at the start of the project.

"In terms of cost, the MBPP portion costs RM275 million and has not increased at all despite the delay. The figure of RM545 million was the total cost of the project, including the parts implemented by the private sector.

"Oh should know this difference because this has been explained many times since the beginning of the project," he said today.

Zairil said, the progress level of the MBPP portion was 96 per cent and is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

"Clearly Oh does not understand the description of the construction project as the percentage is a calculation relative to the time and quantity of work set. If the work completion period is extended with EOT (extension of time), then of course the percentage of work progress will also change. This calculation is common in all construction projects.

"The latest EOT until the end of this year has been given to contractors due to issues such as land acquisition, slope stabilisation work, utility diversion, landslides at work sites as well as problems related to the Movement Control Order (MCO) since last year.

"Thus, part of Jalan Bukit Kukus built by MBPP is expected to be opened to road users by the end of this year," he said.