GEORGE TOWN: Gerakan has appealed to the prime minister to reconsider the decision to defer the Penang Outer Ring Road (PORR) and monorail projects.

Party acting president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said he brought up the matter with Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi during the Barisan Nasional supreme council meeting on Thursday night.

"I appealed to him to reconsider and make some provisions to start the process of land acquisition for both projects."

Koh also accused Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng of sending "confusing signals" to the Federal Government about what the Pakatan Rakyat-led state government wanted for Penang.

Making it clear that Gerakan had always been supportive of the PORR as a major traffic dispersal infrastructure and the monorail as the public transportation backbone, Koh said: "Both are crucial for economic development and quality of life in Penang.
"The previous state government had agreed on the alignment of the PORR two years ago and had always been in discussion with the Federal Government on the alignment and systems for the monorail."

He said certain allocations were provided for under the Ninth Malaysia Plan by the Federal Government in 2006 for the purpose of land acquisition and other preliminary costs for both projects.

Koh said it was important for the Penang state government to make up its mind about the two projects.

"Then, it must be prepared to work closely with the Federal Government."