We had to renegotiate BN's poor land deals, Penang CM says

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has denied "hiding facts" related to the previous BN administration's land reclamation deals.

State Umno liaison committee chairperson Zainal Abidin Osman made the accusation last Sunday, claiming that the state government was obscuring how much reclamation works under BN's rule had benefited the people, as the land was used for expressways, affordable flats and infrastructure projects.

Lim, however, said the present Pakatan Harapan state government has had to renegotiate land reclamation deals made by the BN administration prior to 2008.

"We are not hiding facts, but you are hiding how many pieces of land you have sacrificed at the expense of the people," he stated, in a press conference at the Penang Development Corporation headquarters in Bayan Baru today.

He contended that such deals were poorly negotiated, and were often to the benefit of developers, citing an example where the previous BN government allegedly sold reclaimed land for RM1 per acre.

"They could have sold it for RM500 per acre, as the plot would definitely cost more after development. They did not only sell land for RM1 per acre, but got only a measly 68 acres in return to the state government.

"After renegotiation, we managed to get 136 acres, which is double the 68 acres surrendered to the state," he stressed.

Lim also cited another example in Butterworth, in which he claimed the developer in question was only asked to surrender five percent of the land to the state.

"We renegotiated the deal and forced them to give us more, we are currently in discussions with them.

"It is clear that it was the previous BN rule which did not care for the people's interest," he said.- Mkini