GEORGE TOWN (May 15, 2009): The Penang government is now in discussion with the federal government on the controversial Penang Outer Ring Road project and wish to get public feedback on the project before decisions are taken.

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the federal govenrment had written to the Penang state government regarding the project in March, and since then, discussions had taken place on a project that has been on hold since it was proposed in 1997.

He said the state government wants to consider public opinion and urged the public to write in to present their views on the project or to suggest alternatives that could effectively alleviate traffic congestion on the island.

"PORR is one way to solve the traffic congestion in Penang but if the public has other solutions without PORR, we want to hear from them," he said.

Lim said the project is under the federal government and it had sought the state's cooperation and views regarding several matters.

In a letter addressed to Lim that was signed by then Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri A?mirsham A. Aziz in March this year, the federal government had requested the state's agreement on proposals regarding the implementation of the project.

The letter stated that the Prime Minister's Department had received a proposal from Daya Aliran Inovasi Sdn Bhd to take over the implementation of PORR from Peninsular Metro-Works Sdn Bhd and to pay compensation to the company.

The main principles in the privatisation of the project will consider the call for a transparent and just tender, the implementation of a toll rate and land reclamation to build the PORR.

Lim said if the project were to be implemented, the state government would want the PORR to be realigned as the current alignment has caused much controversy, and this is where public opinion comes in.

The public can write to the Chief Minister's Office at Level 28, Komtar.

The PORR project has been on hold since it was proposed in 1997. Some non-governmental organisations and residents affected by the PORR alignment have come out strongly against the project ever since it was proposed.