GEORGE TOWN, Oct 26 — The Penang Island City Council (MBPP) has called for a fresh tender to complete a poultry distribution centre in Batu Lanchang that was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
MBPP Mayor Datuk Yew Tung Seang said the original concessionaire, Jetblue Sdn Bhd, that was appointed to build, operate and transfer (BOT) the project in 2019 backed out of the project in March.
“The building is about 97 per cent complete and it is disappointing that the company opted to terminate the contract, but we will continue to complete this project and open it by March 2023,” he said during a press conference at the site this morning.
He said MBPP has called for tender to appoint a contract to complete the building.
“Work to complete the building will continue next month and is expected to take about 14 weeks,” he said.
He said the city council has also called for a new request for proposal (RFP) to appoint a new concessionaire to operate and manage the distribution centre and multi-storey carpark.
MBPP is currently assessing the companies that have submitted applications for the RFP and hopes to appoint a concessionaire to manage and operate the building once it is completed.
The 11,300-square-metre poultry distribution centre has cold room facilities, a loading bay, offices, public toilets and a five-storey multi-level carpark with 223 lots.
Yew said the distribution centre will be another option for traders to get their supply of chilled and dressed poultry once it is in operation next year.
The poultry distribution centre was supposed to be completed in March 2021, but it was delayed due to the pandemic.
The project was also mired in controversy with poultry sellers on the island claiming the concessionaire will be monopolising poultry supply and distribution on the island.
Even Penang Gerakan lodged a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in May last year, calling for an investigation into the appointment of JetBlue to operate the poultry supply and distribution at the centre.
The city council has since stressed that poultry sellers on the island were not forced to take their supply from the centre and that it was only an additional option for all poultry sellers.
