THE Penang Undersea Tunnel Project is not an abandoned project but is still active and in the technical review and design completion phase.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the state government has never announced the cancellation of the mega project under the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) since it was proposed in 2011.
According to him, although the issue has been raised frequently, the state government continues to receive the latest presentations from relevant companies to examine the best measures to address various technical issues involving the project.
"The tunnel project was never announced as a non-implementation project, and we never said it would be cancelled. It is still under discussion and even last week, we were still discussing the project in the recent Exco Meeting.
"Among the main issues being refined include the need to ensure that the proposed replacement bridge does not affect the operations of Penang Port as well as the height of the structure due to its location near the Butterworth RMAF Air Base.
"All these are technical issues that are still in the refinement stage. According to the agreement, the study work is also not completed, and they will not proceed until all parties are satisfied with the alignment design, financial arrangements and other aspects," he said.
He said this when answering an oral question from Azmi Alang (Bersatu-Telok Ayer Tawar) regarding the status of the Penang Undersea Tunnel Project.
Chow also stressed that the project was not stopped or abandoned but rather continued to be classified as an active project at the state level.
Commenting on the views of Teh Lai Heng (DAP-Komtar), he welcomed the statement on the need for an optimistic attitude in driving state development.
“I invite Yang Berhormat Teluk Air Tawar to join me on this positive journey so that Teluk Air Tawar, Tasek Gelugor and the whole of Penang can enjoy positive changes and transformations for future generations,” he said.
The 6.5-kilometre undersea tunnel project and three main roads is one of the projects included in the PTMP, which is worth a total of RM46 billion.
The undersea tunnel is part of a project package worth RM6.3 billion.
It is proposed as a third link between the island and the mainland to reduce congestion on the Penang Bridge. – November 14, 2025
