CM denies Rahman's claim Taman Manggis to be sold off

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has denied allegations by Urban Wellbeing, Housing, and Local Government Minister Abdul Rahman Dahlan that the controversial Taman Manggis land would be sold to a third party.

"The land is still under KLIDC's name...; if they want to sell the land they have to get the state government's approval because it was state land.

"However, this company has never made a request (to sell the land)," Lim said in a press conference in the Parliament lobby today.

Yesterday, Rahman in the Dewan Rakyat, has said he had received documents showing KLIDC – a dental services company – allegedly did not intend to develop the land but instead planned to dispose of it to a third party.

The minister also claimed the land was initially meant for the development of low-cost housing.

Lim, however, said the state government had found the size of the Taman Manggis land unsuitable for low-cost housing.

"We thought it was small, so that’s why we replaced it with an 11-acre plot on Jalan SP Chelliah," said the chief minister.

Meanwhile, DAP publicity chief Tony Pua rubbished the purported evidence by Penang Umno Youth that the seller of Lim's house had dealings with the government.

Penang Umno Youth yesterday had cited the InvestPenang website, which lists a company in which Phang Li Koon, the seller of Lim's house, holds 20 percent shares.

"The InvestPenang document is a list of all the companies in Penang. Its a directory, it’s not (proof) of business dealings (with the state government).

"It is like the ‘Yellow Pages’; maybe they don't know what that is," Pua said.

Phang had previously made a statutory declaration denying she is involved in companies which deal with the Penang government. -Mkini