TTF: Ramasamy is either dumb or out to ‘kill’ the Cheat Minister of Penang, Lim Guan Eng.
On the 25th of January 2018, he told newsmen that he didn’t think the state secretary linked CRCC (China Railway Construction Corporation Ltd ) to the tunnel SPV (special purpose vehicle) in terms of shareholding. The DCM was referring to claims that the state government lied to the public via the state run Buletin Mutiara by alleging that CRCC was a shareholder in the multibillion Penang Undersea Tunnel project, now perceived to be a front for a massive land scam deal.
In the first place, for a deputy head of government to kick a sentence off with “I think” when defending a state project under investigation is a serious misrepresentation of justice, and not to mention, dumb. In the second place, I wouldn’t want to be spotted in public if I were the DCM lest someone stops me dead in my tracks just to tell me just how dumb I am.
But this fellow never stopped.
On the 12th of February 2018, he told Malaysiakini that the project, approved in 2013, had yet to kick off as the environmental impact assessment had not been approved. Barisan should have just presented him the “Mule of the year award” then and there.
The thing is, the ruling coalition had repeatedly claimed that the state overpaid the SPV magnitudes of a million more than necessary for studies and designs, the status of which is as yet ‘non-existent’. It was later discovered that the main contractor had pulled out of the project in 2016 following the SPV’s failure to fulfil its obligations.
The fact that CRCC was paid only RM3 million of the promised RM69 million since 2013 – the year the project was awarded – triggered sirens and alarms, considering that the state went ahead and paid the SPV RM73 million a year after CRCC bolted. The payment came atop RM135 million that the state paid in 2015 through a similar arrangement, then involving 3.67 acres of state land.
Was Ramasamy not aware of this? But perhaps he was. Perhaps, his motive was all along to sabotage Guan Eng, which probably explains what happened thereafter.
On the 14th of February 2018, he told MACC officials that he was unaware of issues surrounding the project until the issues were reported by the media. But how could that be, considering that he made every attempt to give newsmen his two cents – and believe me, its just two cents, and that too, in the black market – on anything tunnel and everything undersea? Why, did he read about himself in media before getting to know the project had issues?
On that very day, I wrote the following (in orange):
Lim Guan Eng grossly erred in his decision earlier today to criticise the MACC for recording P. Ramasmy’s statement. According to the Penang Chief Minister, there was no reason for the anti-graft agency to call on his deputy as the latter’s portfolio in the state government was unrelated to the Penang Undersea Tunnel project.
However, what the Chief Minister failed to mention was his deputy’s membership with the Penang Transport Council (PTP). The membership, which took effect on the 14th of June 2016, is set to expire on the 18th of May 2018 (SEE FULL LIST HERE). Under the circumstances, Ramasamy is as yet a member of a council tasked with advising the state government and relevant authorities on all issues of transportation in the state.
By virtue of this reasoning, we can conclude with a reasonable degree of certainty that the Deputy Chief Minister is indeed responsible for the tunnel project no matter how remote or substantial that responsibility may be.
Now, did Ramasamy have the balls to rebut my claims?
No.
Instead, he went on to allege that the cost of land in Gurney Drive – used as payment to the SPV – is currently RM475psf. Now, every Penangite knows that land in the Gurney area isn’t that cheap. Yesterday, Dato’ Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong challenged Ramasamy to get him a piece of that land for the said price.
And guess what?
If the DCM is willing, I myself know a couple of investors who’d be more than willing to snap up some lots. But the one I spoke to yesterday laughed his guts out before telling me that the DCM may have been drunk. Assuming true, my advice to Ramasamy would be to cut down on the toddy and switch to ketum. Chances are, he’d pass out before getting the chance to talk and save everyone the agony of listening to his drivel!
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PETALING JAYA: Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong has challenged Penang Deputy Chief Minister II Dr P. Ramasamy to get him a piece of land on Gurney Drive for RM475psf.
The MCA deputy president said that few people, including himself, believe the insistence by Dr Ramasamy that the cost of the land in Gurney Drive – used as payment for the Penang undersea tunnel project’s Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) – is only worth RM475psf and that the state government should not be blamed for appreciation in land value.
In a ceremony on Jan 15 in 2016, Dr Wee pointed out that Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng himself witnessed a signing of a memorandum of agreement where the tunnel SPV sold 50 acres of the very land to a listed company for RM2.83bil – at a land price of RM1,300psf.
Dr Wee said that the land value for other developments nearby, such as the Marriott Residences, is much higher than RM475psf.
It is in response to Dr Ramasamy’s comment which appeared in an online portal on Sunday (March 18).
Dr Ramasamy had allegedly accused Dr Wee of not giving an objective analysis of the Penang undersea tunnel project.
Dr Wee said that if Dr Ramasamy could get the land for him, MCA would be willing to donate half of the profits to a charity that will benefit Malaysian education.
In his statement, Dr Wee also said he had explained in great detail how Penang people might stand to lose RM20bil if the project were to start.
This includes the actual project cost of RM6.34bil, RM3bil in toll collections, RM9bil in associated projects to support the tunnel SPV property project and RM2.2bil in loss of land value appreciation, he said.
“I invite all Malaysians, particularly the Penang people, to watch my video and see the proof for yourself how I had arrived at such a conclusion.
“Part of my explanation includes the Penang government’s strange act of signing a contract in 2013 which allows construction of the tunnel portion of the project, valued at RM3.6bil, to only start 10 years later in 2023.
“This will result in at least RM2.2bil in loss in land value appreciation for the Penang people,” he said.
Dr Wee said that taking a conservative 5% per year appreciation in land value, he had shown that the RM3.6bil would have increased to RM5.8bil in 10 years time in 2023.
Source: The Star Online
