GEORGE TOWN, May 15 – A heated exchange erupted in the Penang State Legislative Assembly as Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow and his predecessor Lim Guan Eng clashed over the failed tender.
For the proposed Batu Kawan Industrial Park 2 (BKIP2) project in Byram. Chow defended the Penang Development Corporation’s (PDC) decision to reject an RM818 million bid by an IJM-Aspen consortium.
Saying the bidder failed to meet five out of nine key requirements under the request for proposal (RFP).
He said additional conditions attached to the offer would have significantly increased costs, including a proposed bridge project estimated at over RM200 million.
Tensions escalated when Lim questioned the transparency of the second RFP process and cited criticism that had allegedly affected the state’s image.
Chow fired back, accusing Lim of trusting external reports over his own party colleague before loudly telling him to sit down.
The exchange grew increasingly tense before Speaker Law Choo Kiang intervened and instructed both leaders to move on.
