Government May Scrap Penang Monorail Project For Lack Of State Cooperation - Bernama

PENANG, April 26 (Bernama) -- The federal government will not proceed with the monorail project in Penang if the state authority does not give its cooperation, Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop said Saturday.

"So far, we have not received any approvals from the state government. If the state government has other plans with regard to the monorail, we are not doing it. The project is scrapped," he told reporters here.

The 51.2 kilometre monorail project costing RM1.2 billion is among mega projects proposed for implementation under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) to complement the present public transport system network in Penang.

Nor Mohamed said it required full cooperation and approval from the state government because it involved the development of land and under the constitution, land matters were under state jurisdiction.

"If there is no cooperation, how are we to proceed," he told reporters after chairing the first meeting of the Federal Action Council of Penang. The council comprises government department heads, senior government officers and Barisan Nasional assemblymen. Nor Mohamed who is Member of Parliament for Tasek Gelugor, said the DAP-led Penang government had not given its approval because several issues relating to land acquisition and tender had not been finalised.

Other mega projects under the 9MP would also be shelved if the state government disagreed with them or if there was lack of understanding, he said.

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