Explain mosque land issue, Guan Eng told

GEORGE TOWN: Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has been criticised for being "quiet" over allegations that a plot of land for the building of a mosque had been purportedly sold as part of the Bayan Mutiara land deal to a developer.

Penang Malay Congress (PMC) president Rahmad Isahak urged Lim to explain the issue to Muslims n immediately as it involved the interest of Malays in the state.

"We would like to ask the CM to answer allegations that the rights of the mosque land were not transferred to the Penang Islamic Affairs Council (MAIP)," he said.

Rahmad also called on state Religious Affairs, Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Committee chairman Abdul Malik Abdul Kassim to respond to the allegations.

"We are apolitical and we are bringing this up as it involves religious matters of our people. There is no compromise," he told a press conference at Komtar yesterday.

This came after reports that the Bayan Mutiara land was sold together with a plot of land intended for a mosque.

Rahmad quoted a column from a Malay daily titled "Is it fair for Lim Guan Eng to 'hold' the mosque land?' last week.

The article had claimed that the plot of land had been converted into a "places of worship site (tapak rumah ibadat)" under Chief Minister Incorporated. This would place the land under a category for non-Muslim places of worship.

"By right, the plot of land should be handed over to MAIP once the plan was approved in the first place."

He then queried the authorities on the status of the land, asking if it was subdivided for the mosque in the first place.

"If the land has already been subdivided, then the state government should not disturb it."

Rahmad added if the plot of land was intended for a mosque, then the developers should honour it by building a mosque there.

PMC also urged Umno to seek a judicial review of the sale and purchase agreement inked between the DAP-led state government and the developer.

It said a legal application should be filed by Umno against the controversial Bayan Mutiara land reclamation deal covering 41.6 ha, which was reportedly worth over RM1 billion, one of the largest land deals in history here.

-- New Straits Times