‘It is just a service road’

BUTTERWORTH: A road that the state government claims to have built to discourage motorists from paying toll at the Sungai Nyior plaza here is nothing more than a service road, an MCA Youth leader here said.

“Jalan Bagan 29 in Taman Bagan is merely a service road that connects Jalan Siram and Jalan Bagan 1,” Bagan MCA Youth chief David Chua said yesterday.

He said the state government spent RM5.7mil on the 1.5km road but it was underutilised as only about 500 people live along Jalan Siram while most of the buildings are shophouses.

“If the state is sincere in wanting to provide a proper alternative road, it should build a road parallel to the Sungai Nyior toll plaza,” Chua said, responding to a point raised by Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng during his recent debate with MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.

Lim had reportedly said during the debate that the Penang Government had built an alternative road for motorists to avoid paying the 50sen toll at the Sungai Nyior toll plaza.

Refering to a February 2007 posting on the DAP website that quoted Penang DAP secretary Ng Wei Aik as saying that the Sungai Nyior toll would be abolished if Pakatan Rakyat took a parliamentary seat and four state seats in the 2008 general election, Chua said DAP had failed to keep its pledge.

Asked if MCA would recommend to the Federal Government for the toll collection to be abolished, Chua said the Government had already reduced the toll rate from RM1 to 50 sen.

“The Government is subsidising 50 sen in the toll charged by the concessionaire,” he said.

The Star
Tuesday February 21, 2012
By DERRICK VINESH

Road ‘not good enough’

CHIEF Minister Lim Guan Eng has come under fire for misleading the public that his administration had built an alternative road Jalan Bagan 29 for motorists to avoid paying 50 sen toll at the Sungai Nyior toll plaza in Butterworth.

Bagan MCA Youth chief David Chua said the former Barisan Nasional state government had built the alternative road Jalan Todak which connected Chai Leng Park and Seberang Jaya even before Pakatan Rakyat came into power in Penang.

“If the state is sincere in wanting to provide a proper alternative road, it should then build a parallel road next to the toll plaza.

“Jalan Bagan 29 in Taman Bagan is merely a service road that connects Jalan Siram and Jalan Bagan 1,” he told reporters at Taman Bagan in Butterworth yesterday.

Chua was commenting on the statement by Guan Eng during Saturday’s debate with MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek that the state had built an alternative road for motorists to avoid paying toll in Sungai Nyior.

■Making a point: Chua (left) with Bagan MCA deputy chairman Sum Yoo Keong discussing the map of Jalan Bagan 29 along the road in Butterworth, Penang.

He also claimed the DAP had failed to keep a pledge before the 2008 general election to abolish the Sungai Nyior toll col- lection.

“A posting on the DAP website dated Feb 25, 2007, quoted party leader Ng Wei Aik as saying that the Sungai Nyior toll would be abolished if Pakatan wins a parliamentary seat and four state seats, including the Prai seat, in the March 2008 general election,” he said.

Asked if MCA would recommend to the Federal Government for the toll collection to be abolished, Chua said the Federal Government had already intervened to reduce the toll rate from RM1 to 50 sen.

“The Federal Government is presently subsidising the remaining 50 sen in toll charges to the concession holder,” he said.

Chua also said the state spent RM5.7mil on the 1.5km-long Jalan Bagan 29, which he claimed was underutilised, noting that fewer than 500 people live on Jalan Siram.

“Most of the buildings on Jalan Siram are shophouses, apart from a Hindu cemetery near the Jalan Siram-Jalan Telaga Air junction,” he said.

Meanwhile, state Public Works, Utilities and Transport Committee chairman Lim Hock Seng said the state government was willing to consider building an alternative road next to the toll plaza provided it was consented by the Federal Government.

“The Federal Government must give us a guarantee that the concession holder overseeing toll collection in Sungai Nyior will not claim compensation from us for causing traffic ‘leakage’ along the stretch,” he said.

Hock Seng said the state was looking at the possibility of connecting Jalan Todak in Seberang Jaya with the Jalan Bagan 1-Jalan Bagan 29 junction via a flyover at an estimated cost of RM35mil.

Ng could not be reached for comment.

The Star
Tuesday February 21, 2012
By DERRICK VINESH

‘It is just a service road’

BUTTERWORTH: A road that the state government claims to have built to discourage motorists from paying toll at the Sungai Nyior plaza here is nothing more than a service road, an MCA Youth leader here said. “Jalan Bagan 29 in Taman Bagan is merely a service road that connects Jalan Siram and Jalan Bagan 1,” Bagan MCA Youth chief David Chua said yesterday. He said the state government spent RM5.7mil on the 1.5km road but it was underutilised as only about 500 people live along Jalan Siram while most of the buildings are shophouses. “If the state is sincere in wanting to provide a proper alternative road, it should build a road parallel to the Sungai Nyior toll plaza,” Chua said, responding to a point raised by Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng during his recent debate with MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek. Lim had reportedly said during the debate that the Penang Government had built an alternative road for motorists to avoid paying the 50sen toll at the Sungai Nyior toll plaza. Refering to a February 2007 posting on the DAP website that quoted Penang DAP secretary Ng Wei Aik as saying that the Sungai Nyior toll would be abolished if Pakatan Rakyat took a parliamentary seat and four state seats in the 2008 general election, Chua said DAP had failed to keep its pledge. Asked if MCA would recommend to the Federal Government for the toll collection to be abolished, Chua said the Government had already reduced the toll rate from RM1 to 50 sen. “The Government is subsidising 50 sen in the toll charged by the concessionaire,” he said. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/2/21/nation/10775542&sec=nation

Eateries put up giant screens for patrons to watch debate

SUPPORTERS of MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek and Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng are expected to jam pack coffeeshops, food courts and restaurants in Penang today to watch the live telecast of what has been dubbed as this year’s hottest debate between the two leaders.

While many will watch the telecast via Astro’s AEC Channel 301 at 5pm, there are also those who will catch the screening via giant projector screens at Jalan Raja Uda food court (Butterworth), Insa Dunia food court (Bukit Mertajam), Prangin Mall (Penang island) as well as other eateries.

Bukit Mertajam MCA division chief Lau Chiek Tuan said about 500 people, including party members and supporters, would gather at Insa Dunia food court on Jalan Kampung Baru to watch the live telecast.

He said a giant 4.2m by 2.7m projector screen as well as two smaller projector screens would be installed at the food court for the public to watch the debate.

Coffeeshop talk: Chua (left) with Bagan MCA deputy chairman Sum Yoo Keong (right) and other MCA members and residents discussing the debate

Bagan MCA touched by vendor’s plight

NEWSPAPER vendor Koh Yin Cheng, who has been suffering from ‘wobbling knees’ for the past seven years, badly requires knee replacement surgery on both knees.

The 54-year-old, who limps as he walks to sell newspapers daily on Jalan Raja Uda in Penang has been finding it hard to raise funds for his surgery.

Bagan MCA division Youth chief David Chua responded to his plight by sourcing RM14,000 from the 1Malaysia MCA Medical Fund for Koh’s surgery.

Chua said a private hospital had initially proposed to perform Koh’s surgery at the cost of RM40,000.

“But after I took him for a full medical check-up at the Seberang Jaya Hospital, we found out that the surgery could be done there for free.

“He only needs to pay for the equipment used in the surgery that cost RM14,000,” he said after MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai presented Koh a cheque for RM14,000 for the surgery at a restaurant on Jalan Raja Uda recently.

■For your op: Liow (in red) discussing with Koh (second right) while presenting the 1Malaysia MCA Medical Fund cheque to him. With them are (from right) Chua, Bagan MCA division chairman Lee Chee They and his deputy Sum Yoo Keong.

Chua said Koh, who lived in a rented flat in Pangsapuri Mawar, off Jalan Raja Uda, was a familiar face in the area, as he had been selling papers there for more than 10 years.

He said that Koh, who was married with three daughters aged 24, 17 and 13, earned about RM1,000 a month.

“I will help Koh fix an appointment with the hospital to have the surgery done soon,” he said.

Koh said he was grateful to MCA and Chua for helping him.

“I do not know what was the actual cause of the injuries to my knees.

“But, I am looking forward to being able to walk properly, just the way I used to in the past,” he said.


The Star MetroWednesday February 1, 2012