UPDATE: Two ‘Datuks’ remanded in Penang tunnel investigation

PETALING JAYA (Jan 10): Two men with "Datuk" titles were remanded today over investigations into the proposed RM6.3 billion Penang undersea tunnel project.

The two who hold high posts in companies involved in the project were brought to the magistrate's courts in Putrajaya and George Town by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), the English daily The Star reported today.

Yesterday, the MACC swooped on four Penang state government agencies and three companies in relation tunnel project.

The graft busters raided the offices of the Penang Public Works Department, Penang State Secretary, the Penang Office of Lands and Mines and the Penang Valuation and Property Services Department, while the three companies raided were Ewein-Zenith Sdn Bhd, 555 Capital Sdn Bhd, and Consortium Zenith.

The two were nabbed after the raids on the same day. Both men were remanded for six days until Jan 15, The Star reported.

Reports also stated that MACC had collected documents related to the project and interviewed officers in charge of the agencies and companies.

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.