Last weekend (Feb 4), it was reported that Penang opened Phase 1 of its latest attraction Gurney Bay to the public.
Unfortunately, its pristine condition didn’t last long as damaged facilities quickly appeared within 24 hours of its opening.
Former Penang CM highlights damaged facilities at Gurney Bay
Yesterday (Feb 5), former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng took to X (formerly Twitter) to share several photos showing clear signs of apparent damage at Gurney Bay.
In one of the photos, it showed children clambering on a mini suspension bridge where one of its sides had the ropes completely detached from the screws.
He also claimed that several cracks were also spotted on the newly-built concrete structures and slammed the involved parties for the shoddy quality.
“While it was fortunate that action was taken after complaints were filed, the questions surrounding the quality of the work cannot be avoided.
Phase 1 of the Gurney Bay Park project, with a total cost of RM247 million involving concrete wall designs, has raised doubts and questions about the original planning, design, outcome monitoring, and also the quality of work,” he wrote.
Lim also added that given the giant expenditure, Gurney Bay should have the same international standards as that of a public park.
Covering 11.2 hectares, Phase 1 of Gurney Bay project boasts of various facilities such as a children’s play area, skate park, south vantage point viewing deck, public toilets, pedestrian promenade, hawker stalls, retail areas, recreation park, hawker kiosks, open car park space, and a south water body reclamation area.
Penang CM clarifies
Current Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow later took to his Facebook account to address and clarify the concerns raised by Lim.
In the post, he mentioned that Phase 1 did not cost RM247 million as claimed. Rather, that amount represented the total cost of the entire Gurney Bay project, including Phase 1 and 2.
As of December 31, 2023, the State Government has only disbursed RM58 million for completed works. The RM247 million will only be expended when all project components are completed by 2026.
Regarding the damage sighted at Gurney Bay, Chow wrote that the contractor is still liable for up to two years under the Damage Liability Period condition.
Like Gurney Bay, the water interactive game at The Exchange TRX mall was damaged less than a week after its opening, leading to its temporary closure.
Read about it here:
