'Reserved' parking lots: Nga apologises, says had no prior knowledge

Local Government Development Minister Nga Kor Ming has apologised for allegedly occupying 30 parking bays in Penang for a lunch event yesterday.

In a statement published on The Rocket’s Facebook page, Nga (above) clarified that he had no prior knowledge of the matter.

“If this incident caused inconvenience to Penangites and local businesses, I deeply apologise.

“The Local Government Development Ministry will review the (parking) arrangements and pledge to make every effort to avoid inconveniences to the public during official inspections,” he said.

Nga’s apology comes after China Press reported that the Penang Island City Council had reserved the stretch of parking lots on Thursday night for Nga’s entourage outside a restaurant on Campbell Street.

It also reported that cars that were parked overnight there were towed to other places and those parking spots were barricaded.

However, city council mayor A Rajendran said it was a “regular practice” to reserve parking lots in advance for VIPs.

The Star quoted Rajendran as saying that the cars were moved to nearby spots but not towed as claimed. - Mkini