MACC has not approached Kg Buah Pala developer

GEORGE TOWN (Aug 12, 2009) , The Sun: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency (MACC) has not approached the developer of the Kampung Buah Pala land for questioning although graft reports over the land transaction were filed separately last month by Deputy Chief Minister (II) Prof Dr P. Ramasamy and political secretary to the chief minister, Ng Wei Aik.

Nusmetro Ventures Executive Director Thomas Chan at the press conference.

"The MACC has not come to us for any investigation," Nusmetro Ventures (P) Sdn Bhd managing director Thomas Chan said today when queried by reporters.

Chan questioned the state’s move to lodge the reports while wanting to negotiate with the company over compensation and eviction of the residents.

"It is ironic that the government lodges reports with the MACC, and on the other hand wants to talk us," he said.

He also cautioned that the recent offer of terrace houses to residents as ex-gratia for them to leave may have repercussions on the property sector in the state.

He said the move would set a precedent for other residents who are being evicted to ask for high-end housing to make way for development projects.

"House buyers in Penang will now have to pay higher prices due to this case," he said. "It would have an impact on future projects and other developments." he said, adding that the company would not accept any more acceptance forms for the terrace houses from the villagers as the deadline had expired last Friday.

He said only five households from the village had accepted the offer for the terrace houses. He said 10 other residents who moved out last year after accepting earlier compensation offers would also be given the terrace houses instead of low-cost units.

Meanwhile, Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce deputy chairman Datuk Loh Geok Beng, who was also present, said developers were wary of pursuing new projects in Penang due to stringent rules, including restrictions on the hours permitted for construction work.

The state’s current guidelines stipulate that work can only be carried out from 8am to 6pm, and he noted that work done within such a time frame would be inadequate.

He also lamented that the municipal councils in the state had been dishing out too many stop-work orders that were detrimental to the developers and contractors.

He said figures from the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) showed that Penang had new projects totalling RM111 million from January to April this year compared with more than double that amount during the same period last year.

"Since the world economy is bad, the government should work on activating the domestic economy and encourage local developers," he said.