Penang BN chairperson Teng Chang Yeow has been accused of misleading the public with two different figures about the undersea tunnel which will link the island to the mainland in Butterworth.

In saying this, state executive councillor Chow Kon Yeow said the state government has always mentioned in various statements that the overall cost for the feasibility study and detailed design of three major roads and tunnel project is RM305 million.

He said the breakdown and consultants involved in the project are as follows:

Chow said the consultants were appointed by Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd, the special purpose vehicle company, to carry out various work scopes for feasibility studies and detailed designs for the project.

He added that Chinese firm China Railway Construction Corporation Ltd (CRCC) is only responsible for the engineering works for the undersea tunnel.

"We differ with Teng's view that CRCC was appointed for the feasibility study and detailed design for three major roads and tunnel project which has a contract value of USD22 million (RM69.3 million at USD1 to RM3.15)," Chow (photo) said in a press conference.

"The state government would like to clarify that CRCC was not the one and only consultant that is conducting the feasibility studies and detailed design works," he added.

"CRCC is only conducting part of the work scope mainly for the tunnel engineering works, which is for the undersea tunnel project," he stressed.

"Therefore, the value of the USD22 million (RM69.3 million) is part of the overall feasibility study and detailed design valued at RM305 million," Chow said.

In a press conference on Jan 24, Teng had pointed out that CRCC on its website on Oct 12, 2013, announced that they had signed a contract with Zenith.

He said their task was to undertake a detailed design for the three highways and undersea tunnel with a contract value of USD22 million.

Teng said on Oct 14, 2013, China’s state-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council reported that CRCC had signed a FSDD (feasibility studies and detailed design) contract valued at USD22 million for the tunnel project.

CRCC is a China state-owned asset.

[Read our Kiniguide:  Understanding the Penang undersea tunnel project]

Teng had then urged the Penang government to be transparent and accountable to the people of Penang on this “different” value of the FSDD contract.

Chow said Teng's claim that there is a difference of RM236 million between the Penang government and CRCC's figures is a "gross misinterpretation".

"It is wrong, conjured up intentionally by irresponsible parties to mislead the general public and the Penang people," stressed the DAP state chief.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission is intensively probing the undersea tunnel project, with five high ranking official from several companies arrested to assist in the major probe which started in early January.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has insisted the project was above board as it was awarded to Zenith in 2013 after a vigorous open tender process headed by state secretary Farizan Darus.