How DAP Has Sold More Valuable Penang Land In 9 Years Under Guan Eng’s Leadership Than BN Did For 40 Years

(Malaysian Digest) – Who sold off more of Penang’s highly valued real estate, the former Barisan Nasional led government or DAP?

The war of words was started by Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng last Friday, when he posted a Facebook update putting the blame on the former BN-led government in a bid to deflect mounting criticism over his administration robbing Penangites of their future by selling state land for immediate profits to fund their political ambitions.

“Penang sold land 36 times less than BN, but yet got more money because Penang conducts public open competitive tenders,” said Guan Eng in a statement.

He then went on to compare the land sales made by the BN-led state government from the 1990s until 2008, and those made by the Pakatan Harapan-led state government after 2008 by producing data to support his claim.

Guan Eng asserts that in the early nineties to 2008, the BN-led state government had sold a total of 3,661 acres amounting to RM1.0586 billion in revenue, while the Harapan-led government from 2008 has only sold a total 106.1acres for RM1.1102 billion.

Howver, Lim’s accusation has literally blown up in his face as the BN coalition in Penang has produced evidence that contradicts the chief minister’s claims.

State BN chairman Teng Chang Yeow had announced yesterday that on the contrary, the DAP government had sold more land in 9 years totalling 2,178.72 hectare of state land than BN did for 40 years in power.

“In other words, the people of Penang have a miss opportunity of 204 units of the low medium-cost houses each day,” Teng explained the long term implications of DAP’s actions.

Labelling DAP’s uncontrolled selling of state assets as a ‘jumbo land sale’, Teng circulated a chart to reporters at a press conference held at the state Gerakan headquarters yesterday.

“Looking at these figures, there has been a jumbo land sale by the Penang government in the past nine years. Figures don’t lie but liars figure. As such, the current state government should stop misleading the people,” Teng said.

The chart shows that the DAP state government had sold 0.44ha in Taman Manggis to KLIDC; 40.8ha h(102 acres) in Bayan Mutiara to Ivory; 16ha (40 acres) in Batu Kawan to PE Land; 44ha (110 acres)in Gurney Drive to Zenith; 98ha (245 acres) in Batu Kawan to Aspen; 12ha (30 acres) in Batu Kawan to Paramount; and 28ha (70 acres) in Batu Kawan to PKT, NST reports.

The same goes for another 80ha (200 acres) in Batu Kawan to Temasek; 2.64ha (6.6 acres) in Bayan Lepas to Temasek; 8ha (20 acres) in Batu Kawan to Jabil; 1,800ha (4,500 acres) in Permatang Damar Laut to SRS; 9.88ha (24.7 acres) in Bayan Bay to Ideal; 2.64ha (6.6 acres) in Juru to Westlite; 1.76ha (4.4 acres) in Bukit Minyak to Westlite; 32ha (80 acres) in Pulau jerejak to Ideal; and most recently, the controversial 2.56ha (6.4 acres) in Peel Avenue to Island Hospital.

Teng also debunked Guan Eng’s claim that DAP managed to sell less land but earned more profits as a gross mis-statement of facts.

“A cup of ‘kopi o’ in 1990 cost 60 sen but today it is priced at RM1.20. One can’t argue that the coffee shop owner should have charged RM1.20 per cup in the 1990s to maximise profit.

“The fact is that the price of 60 sen at that time reflected the price of materials and goods during that period. Had the coffee shop owner charged RM1.20 per cup then, his business would have long collapsed.

“Mind you, the salary of the chief minister and his state executive council members in Penang have risen two-fold compared to the previous BN administration. Can the state government then claimed they are more prudent than the previous government?

“Salary and allowances have risen and so has the land market price over the past years. Stop misleading the people,” he added.