High Chaparral: RM3.2 Million To Be Deposited With MIC Lawyers

KUALA LUMPUR, July 28 (Bernama) -- The MIC will deposit the RM3.2 million premium for the return of the affected land in Kampung Buah Pala in Penang Pinang with the party's lawyers, MIC president Datuk Seri S.Samy Vellu said Tuesday.

He said that when the Penang government was ready to hand over the land to the Kampung Buah Pala villagers, the the party's lawyers would make the payment to the state government.

"I have instructed MIC's lawyers to write to the state government and Chief Minister (Lim Guan Eng) to get the land matter cleared. The lawyers will transmit the money when the land is approved," he said in a statement here.

Samy Vellu said that in any land deal, the money would only be paid after the land had been transacted or the documents for the transaction were ready.

"Here, we have a chief minister telling us to pay first and then let's talk," he said, adding that the MIC would keep its word and urged Lim to do the same.

Samy Vellu said he was very surprised over Lim's statement that the MIC was "bluffing" when it said that it would pay the RM3.2 million premium.

"I respect him as a young dynamic person. It is unfortunate that he can say anything that suits his purpose for the moment and be willy nilly when the table turns.

"We have to see what Lim had to say about Bukit Cina in Melaka and compare with what he is doing with Kampung Buah Pala," he added.

The DAP, of which Lim is the secretary-general, had resolved the Bukit Cina issue in 1984 and Lim was quoted as saying that it showed the DAP's priority in preserving important culture and heritage over development projects for the sake of private gain.

Samy Vellu said the MIC also wanted to save Kampung Buah Pala to preserve the Indian culture and heritage.

He urged the state government not to take the people for a ride as the land was transferred during Lim's time as chief minister and not by the previous state government.

-- BERNAMA
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uly 28, 2009 20:01 PM

Kampung Buah Pala Residents Appeal To PM To Intervene In Land Issue

PUTRAJAYA, July 28 (Bernama) -- The residents of Kampung Buah Pala in Bukit Gelugor, Penang has appealed to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to intervene in the controversial village land ownership issue.

Their appeal is contained in a memorandum which was handed to the Prime Minister's Offfice here Tuesday through Najib's Special Officer Datuk Nasir Safar.

Kampung Buah Pala village head M.Sugumaran said the prime minister should intervene in the matter soonest possible to save their homes from being demolished when the land rightfully belonged to the villagers.

The controversy over the ownership of the 2.6ha village land came about when the state government sold the land to Koperasi Pegawai Kerajaan Pulau Pinang Bhd.

The cooperative then appointed developer Nusmetro Ventures (P) Sdn Bhd to develop the land and obtained a court order for the villagers to vacate the land before this Aug 3.

-- BERNAMA

July 27, 2009 21:04 PM

Kg Buah Pala Land Issue: State Govt Making Threat, Says Cooperative

PENANG, July 27 (Bernama) -- The Koperasi Pegawai Kerajaan Negeri Pulau Pinang Bhd, owner of the 2.6ha disputed land in Kampung Buah Pala, Gelugor has regarded the state government's move to withdraw approval for the development plan for the site as a threat.

Its chairman Abdul Razak Mansor said the cooperative would not succumb to the threat and would find ways to go ahead with its plan to develop the land in the interest of its members.

He said the Federal Court's decision that the land belonged to the cooperative remained and all quarters should respect that.

When contacted by Bernama here, he added that the cooperative also did not agree with any move by the developer Nusmetro Ventures (P) Sdn Bhd to compromise with the state government and at this point, its (cooperative) stand on the issue remained.

"If necessary, we will apply for contempt of court proceeding against any party which tries to stop us from developing the land which we had legally acquired and our action will take into consideration what happens after Aug 2," he said.

Abdul Razak said it was difficult for the cooperative to give up its plan to develop the land as its more than 3,500 members had waited long to benefit from their investment.

He said as a cooperative which was established 84 years ago, the development project in Kampung Buah Pala was the cooperative's first long-awaited project.

"I cannot simply surrender the land to another party without the consent of our members and any decision on this would have to be made at our annual general meeting," he said.

Abdul Razak also said that the cooperative was not interested in the MIC's move to take back the land by paying a premium of RM3.2 million to the state government.

He said he would also not meet Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to discuss on solving the land issue even if he was invited to the discussion.