Gerakan: Penang govt sold over 2,000ha land
‘Figures from mass media reports and official bulletins’
GEORGE TOWN: Penang Gerakan Youth has listed 16 projects with a staggering 2,178ha of land allegedly sold to developers since 2008.
Its acting chairman Jason Loo claimed that the figures were collected from mass media reports and official bulletins.
The largest portion was the 1,800ha reclamation project in Permatang Damar Laut.
Other projects, according to Loo, were 0.44ha in Taman Manggis, 40.8ha in Bayan Mutiara, 16ha in Batu Kawan, 44ha in Gurney Drive, 98ha in Batu Kawan, 12ha in Batu Kawan, 28ha in Batu Kawan, 80ha in Batu Kawan, 2.64ha in Bayan Lepas, 8ha in Batu Kawan, 9.88ha in Bayan Bay, 2.64ha in Juru, 1.76ha in Bukit Minyak, 32ha in Pulau Jerejak and 2.56ha in Peel Avenue.
Loo said he started monitoring the sale of the Peel Avenue land by Chief Minister Incorporated (CMI) since last May, and for his efforts, he received three “ang pow” from Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng who initiated three legal suits against him over his remarks made on the sale of state land in Peel Avenue.
He added that many questions remained unanswered, including the total pieces of land which have been sold by CMI since its formation in 2009.
He also questioned the need for CMI when previous leaderships under Tan Sri Wong Pow Nee, Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu and Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon did not require such an investment arm to govern the state.
“I believe that the rakyat has a right to know about the land being sold by the state government,” he said.
Loo was named as the sole defendant in the first suit. Loo was jointly named with two Chinese dailies in two other suits.
CMI is the state investment arm set up in 2009 to manage assets and properties belonging to the state government.
Last June, Guan Eng reportedly said the Chief Minister of Penang (Incorporation) Enactment 2009 did not grant him the sole authority to decide on contracts.
He said the powers were delegated to government officers who will only sign when they are satisfied that all requirements are fulfilled with the approval of the state exco.
Guan Eng, during a press conference last June 19, also said the previous Barisan Nasional-led administration had set up State Secretary Incorporated (SSI), which bore resemblance to CMI.
The Chief Minister’s political secretary, Wong Hon Wai, and State Local Government Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow could not be reached for comments.