Michael challenges Lim Guan Eng and Phee Boon Poh to tell all

Dato’ Michael Lee Beng Seng

An online portal has recently claimed to expose the truth behind the health hazards posed by the illegal factory in Kampung sungai Lembu and challenged Lim Guan Eng and Phee Boon Poh to prove their innocence!

I hereby challenge Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng and Penang executive counsellor (exco) Phee Boon Poh, who were in charge of environmental health, to show the complete meeting minutes and correspondence letters related to Department of Environment (DOE). This is to prove that they are not lying about the illegal carbon filter factory!

Lim Guan Eng has recently declassified part of the 2015 Seberang Perai Municipal Council’s Meeting (MPSP) minutes, claiming that the Penang state government is following the DOE’s guidelines, and that the said factory did not cause any pollution. But the online portal “The Third Force” has shockingly exposed that brutal facts not revealed by Lim Guan Eng.

The online portal claimed that Lim Guan Eng has deliberately omitted point numbered 3.3(ii) which states explicitly that the DoE would only support operations if the burning of sawdust was conducted in a closed environment. In addition, DOE had on 24 April 2015, sent a letter to Seberang Perai Municipal Council (MPSP) on the factory lacked proper facilities to control the release of fumes into the open from pits of burning sawdust.

The online portal also claimed that MPSP has once wrote a letter to PKR Penanti assemblyman Dr Norlela to inform the Penanti state assemblywoman of its decision to demolish the factory pursuant to a notice issued a week after the 6th of May 2015 meeting.

I would like to ask CM Lim Guan Eng, whether the documents exposed by the online portal TTF is true? Did DOE clearly state that the factory can only operate in a closed environment? Has DOE notified MPSP about the lacked of safety measures in controlling the release of fumes into the open from pits of burning sawdust from the factory?

Has MPSP issued a notice of demolition to the factory after the meeting held on 6 May 2015?

If yes, then why it was not demolished till now? Are there hidden hands in preventing further actions to be taken? CM Lim Guan Eng and Phee Boon Poh must give an explanation.

Since Lim Guan Eng is willing to reveal the Seberang Perai Municipal Council’s Meeting Minutes, then he should answer all the above mentioned queries, and show the complete version of the minutes. Otherwise, people will doubt if there is some fishy affairs going on between MPSP and the illegal factory.

In this case, Lim Guan Eng and DAP have demonstrated double standards once again.

In fact the Lynas rare earth plant in Kuantan was also approved by DOE, but DAP continues to oppose it. But when it comes to the Penang’s carbon factory, DAP chooses to make DOE a shield. The so-called separate matters remarks by Lim Guan Eng, has once again demonstrated DAP’s double standards.

Datuk Michael Lee Beng Seng
MCA Penang Youth Chairman
MCA Youth National Treasurer