PETALING JAYA: Penang MCA Youth has hit out at the DAP-led state government for getting its priorities wrong after it allegedly paid more than four times the amount in design fees for three road projects on the island.

State MCA Youth chief Datuk Michael Lee Beng Seng (pic) said the overpayment by more than RM136mil on consultation fees for the island's undersea tunnel project could have been channelled towards flood mitigation projects in the state.

It was revealed that the state government had only spent a combined total of RM100mil on flood mitigation projects between 2008 and 2016.

"Penang MCA Youth is shocked that the Penang government has got its priorities so very wrong that the well-being and safety of the rakyat of Penang is put into second place behind the interests of consultants and contractors.

"We consider this action by DAP to be a betrayal of the highest order of the people of Penang," he said in a statement on Wednesday.

Michael, who is also MCA Youth treasurer, said that Penangites would not be suffering from the severe effects of flooding today had the state government spent its funds wisely.

"The Penang government had always given the excuse that they do not have enough money for flood mitigation, and blamed the Federal Government.

"Looks like that is not the case. The Penang government just wasted the money on the wrong things," he added.

Earlier Wednesday, the Barisan Nasional strategic communications team led by Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan called on the Penang government to explain why it had paid excessively for the studies on the road projects totalling just 20km in length.

Abdul Rahman, who is also Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, said that he would report the matter to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to investigate possible abuse of power if no explanation was forthcoming in a week's time.

-The Star-