Loke confident ‘transparent’ Chow will answer questions on land deal

 

Loke Siew Fook (right) is positive Chow Kon Yeow will answer ‘all the questions’ over the sale of PDC land to a construction company.

KUALA LUMPUR: DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook is confident that Penang chief minister Chow Kon Yeow is a transparent leader who would be upfront about the land deal between Penang Development Corporation (PDC) and a private construction company.

“He will answer all the questions, not just with the media but the state assembly,” Loke told reporters after attending the KTMB workers’ union conference here today.

It was previously reported that the 226ha land owned by PDC, a state agency, was sold through direct negotiation to UMECH Construction Sdn Bhd in April to develop an industrial park.

Chow has since defended the sale, citing lack of interest on the land, with a PDC sub-committee allowing its sale, although the claim has since been disputed by his former deputy, P Ramasamy.

Loke also said the Penang assembly had its own “mechanisms”, including a public accounts committee, which could carry out its own investigation into the matter.

“And I’m confident Chow would give his full cooperation,” he said.

The transport minister also said it was irrelevant whether or not he agreed with the sale of the land.

“It’s a question we have to impress upon the public and especially the people of Penang.” he said.

On Monday, Chow’s former special investment adviser, Lee Kah Choon, and Ramasamy accused him of misleading the public over the sale of the land.

Chow had claimed earlier that PDC’s decision to sell the land to UMECH had been made with “due diligence”. The chief minister is the PDC chairman.

He also claimed that a “small committee”, which comprised Ramasamy, Lee, former deputy chief minister Ahmad Zakiyuddin Abdul Rahman and former state executive councillor Abdul Halim Hussain, had met on Nov 28, 2022, to discuss UMECH’s proposal.

In a joint statement, Lee and Ramasamy claimed that the meeting, chaired by Chow, was not intended to evaluate whether UMECH was suitable to be awarded the contract, but for the company to provide further details about its proposed development.

They said it was decided at the meeting that UMECH was to carry out a market survey, study the composition of land usage, and provide proof of its financial sustainability. - FMT