It is so ridiculously lop-sided and front-loaded that you can only conclude that the project was designed to get maximum money upfront that even if the actual tunnel reports and project never gets done, it doesn't matter as the company awarded the project
This is a page from the official Penang PAC report on the Penang Tunnel project.
The way that the cost of the consultancy fees to do the RM305mil reports seems to be structured to be front-loaded with the intention that the bulk of the fees are quickly paid by the Penang Govt up-front.
The fees to do the report for the 10.6km Tanjung Bungah to Teluk Bahang paired roads with construction cost of RM377 million is a staggering RM120.4 million.
This means the reports cost for this road is 32% of the construction cost - which breaks all government cost guidelines where such a project should only cost a maximum of 5% only.
Compare this to the RM96mil cost of reports for the much more complicated undersea tunnel that cost RM3.5 billion to construct.
Remember that this costing is from official Penang Govt sources.
It is so ridiculously lop-sided and front-loaded that you can only conclude that the project was designed to get maximum money upfront that even if the actual tunnel reports and project never gets done, it doesn't matter as the company awarded the project would have already made all their money.
Among the many suspicious activities and possible wrong-doings in this project, I am confident that the MACC will also be investigating this issue.
Eric See-To.
