Chief Minister: Bid was done on time

GEORGE TOWN: Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has refuted claims that Ivory Properties Group Berhad – the winning bidder for the purchase of a 41.5ha plot of land in Bayan Mutiara – had submitted its tender proposal after the close of the bidding period.

Lim said the company’s proposal was given before the Dec 31, 2010 deadline and not in March, as has been alleged.

“(Penang Umno chief Datuk) Zainal Abidin (Osman) and (Kota Belud MP Datuk) Abdul Rahman (Dahlan) are again lying and we all knowwhoare the oneswhoshould retire from politics,” Lim said.

Lim had previously offered to retire from politics if it could be proven that the Bayan Mutiara land sale was not done via open tender.

On Saturday, Zainal Abidin had said that Ivory Properties Group only sent its bid to the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) on March 3 last year.

He said this information came from a document sent by the company to the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange on Nov 11 last year.

Asked for details about the bids, Lim said he had not been furnished with the documents but would disclose the information soon.

PDC general manager Datuk Rosli Jaafar said there had been four bidders for the Bayan Mutiara land.

Ivory Properties Group chairman and group CEO Datuk Low Eng Hock said the company had submitted its bid on Dec 31, 2010 before the noon deadline.

On another matter, Lim said a second debate between himself and MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek should be televised.

The first showdown between the two leaders was held in Mandarin on Saturday and was telecast live from Berjaya Times Square on two Astro channels.

Lim also accused the mainstream media of “whitewashing” personal attacks made against him during the debate.

He also refuted a news commentary that he (Lim) wanted a second debate to “repair the damage” from the first debate.

“I wrote to the debate’s coorganiser, Asli (Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute), on Feb 15 asking for a second debate,” Lim said.