GEORGE TOWN: A piece of land which "disappeared" but "resurfaced" later has become an issue after it was revealed that it was given to a state executive council member for a nominal fee.
State Gerakan treasurer Ng Fook On said Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng must come clean and explain why the state had gone against its own directive that no state exco member or government official would be given land.
Ng said it was revealed at the ongoing state assembly that an exco member and his wife were given the piece of land in Seberang Prai Utara last year.
On Wednesday, Barisan Nasional's Sungai Dua state assemblyman Datuk Jasmin Mohamed also raised the matter and Ng yesterday issued a statement demanding an answer from Guan Eng.
State Agriculture Committee chairman Law Choo Kiang attempted to contain the fallout from the issue during the state assembly sitting yesterday.
He said the piece of land facing the sea in Teluk Air Tawar, Butterworth, was granted to state Public Works, Utilities and Transportation Committee chairman Lim Hock Seng and his wife, Lucy Ooi.
Law said the land originally belonged to the couple but a massive part of it became eroded a few years after they purchased it in 1985. The land later resurfaced from natural coastal conditions and Hock Seng subsequently reapplied to get it back.
He and his wife submitted applications to the state land office but these were rejected under the then Gerakan-led state government.Hock Seng filed another application after the DAP-led Pakatan Rakyat took over the state government last year.
This time, it was finally approved. "The land belonged to them and it has since been returned to the original owners," Law said.
Meanwhile, Hock Seng said he did not realise that the land would be eroded when he first purchased it."I applied to get it back when it resurfaced in 1998 but the land office rejected my application. I reapplied for it in 2006 but it was again rejected. I only managed to get the title back last year," he said.
The land issue is not the only one raised by Gerakan.Ng also wanted Guan Eng to explain why he had appointed himself as chairman of the Penang Tender Board.
He said Guan Eng should explain how appointing himself as the board chairman could be described as a transparent move, in line with the chief minister's self proclaimed CAT (competency, accountability and transparency) principles."His move to appoint himself as the chairman of the board is unprecedented."
This is a strange move by the chief minister and he should explain why he chose to be the tender board chairman." Ng, who is former Batu Lancang assemblyman, said in the previous state administration no politician or state exco member sat on the tender board and it was headed by the state secretary.
He said Penang's tender board should be independent and no politicians should sit on it.He said Guan Eng had stated before that the state government would be fair and transparent in the award of state projects and added it was now doubtful if he would be able to keep the promise.
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