‘PENANG GOVT SOLD 2,000HA OF LAND’
Land sold to private developers discreetly, claims Gerakan Youth acting chief
THE DAP-led Penang government has allegedly sold a staggering 2,000ha of land to private developers since it came into power in 2008.
Penang Gerakan Youth acting chief Jason Loo claimed that the state government had conducted the land sale discreetly.
He claimed that the Penang government had sold 2,178.72ha of land to a number of private developers over the years. This, he claimed, included the sale of 2.56ha of Peel Avenue land.
He claimed that the largest portion sold was 1,800ha of yetto-be-reclaimed land in Permatang Damar Laut Penang South Reclamation (PSR) to a construction company.
Loo also said the state government had set up Chief Minister Incorporated (CMI) in 2009, a platform for the state government to sell land to private developers.
“The previous Barisan Nasional state government did not require a CMI to govern the state for 61 years, so why did this state government set up CMI within a year of taking over the state?
“Why are there no board members or board committee members in CMI? Many questions are left unanswered by the chief minister (Lim Guan Eng) or his exco (executive council) members,” he said.
Loo expressed concern over the status of Penang’s remaining land and said he would continue to protect the interest of Penangites.
“What does the future hold for Penangites when state-owned land is sold to private developers to build high-density apartments or condominiums for rich investors?
“I strongly believe that the people have a right to know how and when their land was sold,” he said, after attending the case management for defamation suits at the Penang High Court yesterday.
Loo was last month served with three writ of summons from Lim for his claims over the sale of the Peel Avenue land to Island Hospital.
MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai urged Lim to stop running away from addressing the issue concerning the Penang government’s controversial undersea tunnel project.
Lim had rejected a challenge by MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong to debate the issue, and instead said he would only debate the issue with Liow as he is the MCA president.
Wee yesterday accused Lim of having “something to hide” given his refusal to debate the issue.
Liow said Lim should stop hiding behind his position as Penang CM and accept Wee’s challenge.
“Trying to divert the attention to me (to debate) or anyone else won’t help (the situation).
“Everyone can see that he’s using numerous excuses to avoid debating as he has no answers for Wee.
“There’s no need to run away by claiming that others are not on the ‘same level’. This will only create doubt among the public,” said Liow, who is also transport minister.
Penang’s tunnel project had raised numerous controversies in recent months, especially on the high cost of the RM305 million feasibility studies as well as the 22-month delay in completing it. Four people, including a Datuk Seri, two Datuk and a female engineering consultant, had been detained to assist, the investigation.