MACC remands two company heads in connection with RM6.3b Penang undersea tunnel project probe

PETALING JAYA (Jan 10): The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has remanded two company heads — of Ewein Bhd and Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd — in connection with the RM6.3 billion Penang undersea tunnel developments to facilitate investigations into corruption allegations, an MACC spokesperson confirmed.

This follows the anti-graft body’s raid yesterday into four state agencies — the Penang Public Works Department, Penang State Secretary, Penang Office of Lands and Mines and Penang Valuation and Property Services Department — and three construction and property development companies — Ewein Zenith Sdn Bhd, 555 Capital Sdn Bhd and Consortium Zenith Construction.

Ewein Zenith is a joint-venture between Ewein Land Sdn Bhd, a unit of Ewein, and Consortium Zenith Construction (formerly known as Consortium Zenith BUCG, prior to the withdrawal of Beijing Urban Construction Group).

Consortium Zenith Construction had been awarded the project, which entails the construction of a 7.2km underwater tunnel that links Gurney Drive on the island to Bagan Ajam on the mainland, a 10.53km North Coastal Paired Road (NCPR) from Tanjung Bungah to Teluk Bahang, the 5.7km Air Itam-Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway bypass and the 4.075km Gurney Drive-Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway bypass.

The MACC had collected documents related to the project and interviewed officers in charge of the agencies and companies, according to previous reports.