Guan Eng questioned over role in Kampung Buah Pala affair

LGE was questioned in the Dewan Negeri but his answers were lame, lame duck. He talk cock....accepting "the premium’s final instalment had exceeded the time limit, indicating that the validity had lapsed." as valid. Why he and his govt was so in a hurry to collect the not valid premium and issue the title knowing well there is fraud, irrugularities, a team is investigating and the Federal Court is in the middle of hearing the case.. is this what LGE is preaching us about law and order? AS CM, he could have stop the deal and wait for the outcome, why LGE failed to do the needful, bcos he did not see the rakyat first, wanted to hide his mistakes and start negotiaiting compensation. What nonsence he should be fighting nail & tooth to preserve the heritage land BUT he went against and wanted to see the villagers kicked out as squatters and a Condo built. Say it is done and not reversable, fine, what about the condition laid on the title, why LGE did not take action using his power to stop the Kop from demolishing, developing & alienating which was clearly stated in the title. Why he became a toothless tiger, or he failed to read PJ City Coumcillor Derek Fernandez pointing out the condition. Guan Eng questioned over role in Kampung Buah Pala affair Himanshu Bhatt and Opalyn Mok Lim Guan Eng GEORGE TOWN (Aug 11, 2009): Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng (DAP-Ayer Putih) was questioned in the state assembly today about his own role in the Kampung Buah Pala controversy when it was pointed out that his administration had collected the final instalment payment for the land’s purchase even though the validity of the premium had lapsed. State opposition leader Datuk Azhar Ibrahim (BN-Penaga) took Lim to task for having the land title issued to the Penang Government Officers’ Cooperative under his tenure on 27 March 2008. Azhar said the premium’s final instalment had exceeded the time limit, indicating that the validity had lapsed. The maximum time given for the purchaser to settle the full amount was three months. But according to the state executive council minutes, the cooperative had made its first payment of RM963,000 on 22 March 2007 and its next payment a year later, of RM2.247 million on 14 March 2009. Azhar Ibrahim In reply, Lim said it was the state executive council under the Barisan Nasional (BN) that had approved the alienation of the land twice (on Aug 18 2004 and June 8 2005). "The development approval had also been given by the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP)," he said. "Once the premium was settled, the title had to be issued. This was an administrative procedure," he added, noting that the BN government had approved the deal and collected the initial payment. He also asked why the the cooperative had been given a discounted premium of only RM10 per sq ft, which he said was akin to rompak (a robbery). RSN Rayer Azhar responded: "The BN government may have taken RM1 million. But it was the bapa perompak (father of robbers) who took RM2 million." Syed Ameruddin Syed Ahmad (BN-Bayan Lepas), who was a member of the previous state executive council that approved the deal, said the subsidised land transfer to the cooperative was as a compensation for land it had given to the federal government for a new court building next to Dewan Seri Pinang. Meanwhile RSN Rayer (DAP-Seri Delima) pointed out that the MPPP had approved the demolition of the houses on the land on Dec 8 2006, long before the title had even been issued to the cooperative. He said that such questionable practice showed the need for councillors to be elected, and for the federal government to amend the Local Government Act to allow elections at municipal level.