Peel Avenue land deal: Gerakan's Loo says CM has proven him right

A Penang Gerakan youth leader has turned the tables on Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, thanking the latter for apparently confirming that his remarks on the sale of state land in Peel Avenue were "true and accurate."

Penang Gerakan acting youth chief Jason Loo said that since Lim (photo) had not sued him over his remarks, his statement on the land sale had to be true.

Explaining his stand, Loo said Lim had challenged PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang to sue the media if they published any inaccurate statement regarding his (Hadi's) take on an all-Malay Muslim cabinet for the country.

While Hadi has since refuted media reports quoting him on the requirement for an all-Malay Muslim cabinet, Lim said that Hadi had yet to sue any media for allegedly twisting his statement.

"Thank you, CM," Loo said today as he and several other Gerakan members demonstrated with placards against Hadi's statement at Penang's Komtar.

"Going by Lim's logic (in suing over inaccurate statements), my remarks on the sale of state land on Peel Avenue must be true and accurate.

"The CM issued me with three legal letters last year regarding my statements on the Peel Avenue land sale, but he has yet to sue me, which means my statement is true," Loo said.

Loo had raised several questions on the land deal in which 2.6ha of state land was sold to Island Hospital Penang for the expansion of its medical facilities.

Loo had asked why there was no open tender when the plot was sold, and why the deal was handled by Chief Minister Incorporated (CMI), a special body set up to manage the state's corporate affairs and chaired by Lim.

"I asked why it was only one man's decision to sell the land, why the rush to convert it to a commercial zone, and why the old heritage building on it was demolished when the Health Ministry had yet to approve the new medical facility extension," Loo said.

Lim has responded by saying the state did not carry out an open tender for the land sale as the deal was deemed a foreign direct investment.

He also dismissed claims that the decision to sell the land was entirely his, pointing out that CMI comprised members of the state executive council as well as the state secretariat.

Loo said further that Lim need not apologise to him.

"If he has made a mistake in sending me the three legal notices, never mind, he need not apologise. After all, it is my responsibility and mission to carry out checks and balances on the state administration," he said.

"However, the CM needs to apologise to Penangites and the affected residents on Peel Avenue as he cannot simply sell away land belonging to the people of Penang," Loo added.- Mkini