Despite weeks of verbal sparring with the Penang government over fees allegedly overpaid to the contractor for three major road works and the undersea tunnel - the Works Ministry (JKR) now compares the project with a highway construction in Johor.

Minister Fadillah Yusof cited an example where JKR paid only about RM19 million in total pre-construction consulting fees for a recent paired road highway project in the southern state, which is currently held by the ruling Barisan Nasional.

“These fees comprise all required services and include the fees for all surveys, soil investigation, preliminary environmental impact assessment and all civil, structural, electrical and mechanical design,” said Fadilah in a statement today.

The RM19mil of pre-construction consulting cost represents about 2.67% of RM718,570,500 for roads totaling 30km in length, Fadillah noted...