Latest news with #ConsortiumZenithConstructionSdnBhd
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Too much sun, noise and pollution for residents to bear
GEORGE TOWN: What was once a leafy escape has become a blazing construction zone – no thanks to excessive culling of trees. In Bandar Baru Air Itam, residents are sweating under the scorching sun after the felling of trees to make way for a long- delayed mega bypass project. ALSO READ: Outcry as trees felled in Penang Residents also have to endure noise, air pollution and traffic congestions from the ongoing construction of the Air Itam – Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway bypass. Hawker Fauziah Mohd Marina, 53, acknowledged the need for development but voiced concern over the vanishing green lungs. 'Some of the trees that shaded us are now gone. The authorities say most of them will be preserved, but we clearly feel the visible reduction in greenery,' said Fauziah, who has lived in a nearby high-rise with her husband and five children for 15 years. Trader S. Ganapathi, 71, who walks daily for exercise, said it feels harsh and noisy nowadays. 'I used to enjoy my morning walks under the big trees, but now it's machinery and dust. 'The noise starts early and the afternoons are unbearably hot without the trees,' he said, adding that the state government should speed up construction and replant trees wherever possible. Meanwhile, waitress Qiao Wen, 19, supports the project. 'It's a much-needed upgrade. While frustrations are normal, the long-term benefits will be worth it,' she said, adding that quicker completion would help minimise the disruption. The RM850mil project, which connects Air Itam to the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway, had its groundbreaking ceremony in 2019 but construction only began in 2021. It was delayed for about a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic and land acquisition issues during the early stages of construction. The 6km toll-free road will have a 1.8km ground-level stretch while other stretches will be elevated through viaduct structures (65%), tunnels (20%) and grade sections (15%). It will consist of three interchanges: Lebuhraya Thean Teik, the Jalan Bukit Gambir-Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah junction, and the Tun Dr Lim Chong Ee, which will involve a 'left-in, left-out' access and an elevated U-turn. Upon completion next year, it is expected to reduce the 40-minute drive between Bandar Baru Air Itam and the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway to under 10 minutes. This is expected to benefit Penangites in the long term, especially the population of 300,000 in Air Itam, Bandar Baru Air Itam and Paya Terubong. The project is among four packages under the Penang Undersea tunnel (or a third link) and three major road projects awarded to Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd in September 2013.
The Sun
3 days ago
- The Sun
MACC IO reports money given to Lim Guan Eng in Penang tunnel case
KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigating officer testified in court that he reported to superiors regarding money allegedly given to former Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng. Senior Superintendent Ng Heng Jun stated that Datuk Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli, former director of Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd, disclosed payments made to both G. Gnanaraja and Lim during a fraud investigation in 2019. Ng clarified that while Zarul provided general details about the funds given to Lim, he was not directly involved in that specific investigation. 'I informed MACC superiors, and they assured a special probe would follow,' he said during re-examination by Deputy Public Prosecutor Farah Yasmin Salleh. The case involves a RM6.3 billion Penang infrastructure project. The witness confirmed he did not prevent Zarul from testifying about the payments to Lim. 'I wanted to avoid mixing evidence between the two separate cases,' Ng explained. Lim faces multiple charges, including allegedly accepting RM3.3 million in bribes linked to the project between 2011 and 2017. Additional charges accuse Lim of soliciting a 10% profit share from Zarul's company and improperly disposing of state land worth RM208.8 million. The trial before Judge Azura Alwi resumes on July 22. – Bernama
The Star
24-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
Third fixed link still on hold but work on LRT bridge to start
GEORGE TOWN: While work on one new crossing between Penang's island and mainland is about to start, discussions for yet another crossing has been going on for years. In fact, the idea of a third fixed link between Penang Island and the mainland was first proposed in the early 2010s as part of the Penang Transport Master Plan. It was originally conceived as an undersea tunnel between Gurney Drive and Bagan Ajam, a 7km tunnel to run 11m beneath the seabed, costing over RM6bil. It was to be funded partly through a land swap involving reclaimed parcels along the Gurney Drive coastline. The project was awarded to Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd, a special purpose vehicle appointed to undertake the tunnel's feasibility studies and construction. However, the plan never received approval due to cost concerns, political transitions and questions about its financing model. In 2023, the state government signalled a shift, favouring a conventional bridge instead. However, that has run into concerns by Penang Port Sdn Bhd, which indicated that the third bridge would at least need to have 100m of vertical clearance to allow large cruise and cargo vessels through. The main span, without piers or pillars, would need to stretch as far as 2km to prevent interference with shipping lanes. While that plans remains on the drawing board, another more recent idea is bearing fruit – the light rail transit (LRT) bridge under the Federal Government-funded Mutiara Line. The LRT system will link Komtar with the upcoming Silicon Island off the island's southern coast and is expected to serve key locations including SPICE Arena, the airport and the Bayan Lepas industrial zones. The LRT bridge includes a crossing to Butterworth to connect an LRT station in Macallum Street Ghaut with Penang Sentral. It is learnt that the LRT bridge will be 4km long and may include pedestrian and cycling paths as part of a broader multi-modal design. PPSB has specified a vertical clearance of 60m to 62m, with a required mid-channel span of at least 600m to allow ship navigation. On the mainland, the bridge is expected to reach land near the Crowne Plaza Hotel along Jalan Bagan Luar, about 1km north of Penang Sentral. Early-stage construction work on several LRT station sites on the island has begun.
The Sun
27-05-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Key witness in Lim Guan Eng's corruption trial says he only spoke the truth
KUALA LUMPUR: A key witness in former chief minister Lim Guan Eng's corruption trial testified at the Sessions Court today that he spoke only the truth regarding the alleged bribery in the major roads and undersea tunnel project in Penang. Datuk Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli, 66, former director of Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd (CZCSB), stated that the corruption did occur, supported by the substantial evidence and documents presented by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) during investigations. 'I was compelled to tell the truth. If I were to follow my heart, I would wish for YB Lim Guan Eng to win in this case, as I owe him a debt of gratitude. 'However, upon reviewing the evidence and documents, I could not deny that the offence indeed took place,' said the 23rd prosecution witness. He made this statement during re-examination by deputy public prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin in the RM6.3 billion corruption case involving Lim Guan Eng. Wan Shaharuddin: You informed the court that you were instructed to issue a press statement regarding the project, and that the contents of that statement were untrue, yet you proceeded to issue it. Is that correct? Zarul Ahmad: I did so to protect my project, to avoid escalating tensions with the then Chief Minister of Penang, Lim Guan Eng, and to safeguard his interests. Zarul Ahmad acknowledged that in the statement, he claimed the project was obtained transparently and without any criminal wrongdoing, which he admitted was false. Wan Shaharuddin: So you deliberately misled the people of Penang to protect Lim Guan Eng's image despite knowing your statement was untruthful? Zarul Ahmad: I am indebted to him and followed his instructions, as he was serving as the Finance Minister at the time. 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. The offence allegedly took place between January 2011 and August 2017 at the Chief Minister's Office in Penang. 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 scheduled to resume on June 24.
The Sun
27-05-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Key witness in Lim Guan Eng trial says he told the truth
KUALA LUMPUR: A key witness in former chief minister Lim Guan Eng's corruption trial testified at the Sessions Court today that he spoke only the truth regarding the alleged bribery in the major roads and undersea tunnel project in Penang. Datuk Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli, 66, former director of Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd (CZCSB), stated that the corruption did occur, supported by the substantial evidence and documents presented by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) during investigations. 'I was compelled to tell the truth. If I were to follow my heart, I would wish for YB Lim Guan Eng to win in this case, as I owe him a debt of gratitude. 'However, upon reviewing the evidence and documents, I could not deny that the offence indeed took place,' said the 23rd prosecution witness. He made this statement during re-examination by deputy public prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin in the RM6.3 billion corruption case involving Lim Guan Eng. Wan Shaharuddin: You informed the court that you were instructed to issue a press statement regarding the project, and that the contents of that statement were untrue, yet you proceeded to issue it. Is that correct? Zarul Ahmad: I did so to protect my project, to avoid escalating tensions with the then Chief Minister of Penang, Lim Guan Eng, and to safeguard his interests. Zarul Ahmad acknowledged that in the statement, he claimed the project was obtained transparently and without any criminal wrongdoing, which he admitted was false. Wan Shaharuddin: So you deliberately misled the people of Penang to protect Lim Guan Eng's image despite knowing your statement was untruthful? Zarul Ahmad: I am indebted to him and followed his instructions, as he was serving as the Finance Minister at the time. 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. The offence allegedly took place between January 2011 and August 2017 at the Chief Minister's Office in Penang. 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 scheduled to resume on June 24.
