It is shocking to see the Penang Development Corporation and Abad Naluri re-negotiating the deal in which the latter was supposed to acquire 750 acres of land in Batu Kawan from the PDC.
The site of the failed equestrian centre project in Batu Kawan – Photo by Anil
This Batu Kawan land was supposed to have been used for a new equestrian centre among other things around the time the Penang Turf Club entered into an agreement with Abad Naluri to sell its Batu Gantung race-course for the Penang Global City Centre project. Neither project (the PGCC and the new equestrian centre in Batu Kawan) took off.
An Edge report says no money has exchanged hands for the Batu Kawan land even though there was a principal agreement between the PDC and Abad Naluri. If so, hasn’t this agreement, which was entered into in 2004, now lapsed? Shouldn’t the PDC be terminating the deal outright?
What is there to negotiate? After all, if the agreement has lapsed, there is no risk of the PDC being sued by Abad Naluri, is there?
People are always complaining there’s a shortage of land in Penang for affordable housing and green lungs. One would have thought this would be a golden opportunity for PDC to re-acquire this vast tract of land and build some affordable houses for Penangites – like it once did superbly – or to use it for other social and public purposes like public parks. Part of the land could also be sold to the highest bidder – in an open tender – to raise funds for the state government.
In the first place, how did an obscure company like Abad Naluri enter into an agreement with the PDC for such a vast tract of land? Was it a coincidence that it secured 750 acres of potential prime land next to the site of the second bridge so cheaply?
Did the state government’s investigative committee panel to probe dubious land deals ever probe the Batu Kawan deal? If so, what is the outcome? And if it did not probe the deal, why not? This was a monster of a deal – 750 acres to an obscure, but well-connected firm.
| Please help to support this blog if you can. Read the commenting guidlelines for this blog. |
ghkok, i agree.
anil if u allow snippets of info here the discussion will be hijacked by UMNO/BN loyar buruks here like K n/or Gerakan K n gang who has no intention for a more sincere discussion rather than to rile e’body up into a shallow debate wt shallow characters like themselves. then ur original aim of having a more intelligent discourse will fail.
careful anil not to give free ammo to these lowlifes
Dear Anil, I think we don’t have all the info. We have snippets of info here and there, and then people get riled up and start raving and ranting and cursing. Let’s all try to stay calm and avoid provocation. 1. if an agreement is signed between a state govt and another party, does the agreement still hold when a new state govt takes over ? I think it’s a “yes” … unfortunately. 2. how do you go about annulling this agreement ? I’m not a lawyer but I would love to see some of these lopsided agreements annulled. We… Read more »
If ever PR wins PRU 13, there would be a huge chaos as withdrawal symptoms will kick in. The whole system is so full of nicotine (BN cronies) in the government that it would almost be impossible to rule properly after being smoking for more than 50 years (BN rule).
I still think LGE is competent and clean enough in my book. I don’t expect him to be perfect as compared to bn who usually are blatant.
I’m sure LGE has some answers to all this. PGCC would have taken off if not stopped by this govt.
I also think your speciality is now getting on the back of this Penang govt. You seem to be continuing from Kg Buah Pala. You seem to blame LGE for all their plight. Do a survey from the public and find out what they think the KBP people deserve?
Anil, Politicians are politicians. Soon LGE will be talking like KSK. Tak percaya?
If LGE really believe that the state government departments or agencies is full of BN cronies, why not restructure it? The fact is LGE (doesn’t seem to) trust Penang DAP or other Pakatan partners in doing the job, he rather trust BN cronies! That explained why he continue what Gerakan and BN left behind, which make him worst than KTK. At least, KTK done it reluntantly cause he is a big time coward, but our LGE do it willingly because he has no brain and (seems to) distrust his own people and his allies. The other problem is the inferior… Read more »
So Andrew – you want to run for elections? Don’t talk big ya
Lets give LGE a chance to run the govt. Remember they are the govt and not in the opposition.Penang is not supported by the Federal govt hence they have to promote and establish a good business environment to generate jobs and revenue. However they have to be transparent as promulgated. I believe LGE knows in order not to be a one term govt they have to also seen to be transparent and action oriented.If we have been patient with BN 50 yrs why cant we give LGE an opportunity to govt.
I wonder if penang is under bn, a deal like this will ever see the light of the day, let alone be blogged. Have anyone come across lately of any shaddy deals coming out in the news in the other 11 bn controlled states? No?
So FenceSitter, why do you say ? Close-one eye ? Why do you imply here, just because BN does it then we should allow DAP to rape and plunder us as well ?
LGE is not the one doing the work. If the people do not want to work, or they do funny things, he cannot do much. That is why restructuring of the people must be done. Else, it will be no different from when BN was in power.
//PDC is still run by BN and UMNO loyalists. If anything proper is to be done, it must be re-structured. These people’s mentality (seems to be) to serve the interest of BN connected cronies over that of the public.//
//PDC, PSDC, Invest Penang, PBA, …..are all still full of BN cronies//
BUT, ALL THESE AGENCIES are headed by LIM GUAN ENG!!!
Are these ppl trying to imply that their beloved cm is incompetent? useless leader? or … less to deal with the cronies of bn?
Gerakan goons with sore back and not happy with the defeat. When building the double track to padang besar, LGE told gamuda off and this case Gerakan Goons are very silent on this issue. When business is business, Gerakan Goons said that they are friendly but they did not mention how MCA/Gerakan can take Millions from Tiong man
PDC, PSDC, Invest Penang, PBA, …..are all still full of BN cronies.
Every Penangites would love to see Penang progress and sucess economically. Sometime it puzzling us why after Pakatan capture the state, the state government still appears to be business friendly to all those well connected cronies of BN. When Pakatan was in the opposition, we may resign to the fact that Pakatan is in no position to stop anything. Now Pakatan is in power, why can’t we review and revise any past deal that take advantage of the people? Why should PDC renegotiated with Abad Naluri over the land deal? t Why can’t the state government allow the bidding of… Read more »
If you have ever been responsible to other people (i.e. lead or manage) or have to run an organistion, you will know that even if the other party is the worst evil in existence, you still have to talk to them and be polite…
You are so full of liberal…
Bigjoe…why attack the messenger (ie Anil) ? Your views on good governance and democracy is so selective. You jump up in outrage when the same act is committed by BN but when DAP does it, not only that you DAP Cybertroopers not only close only eye but actually condone it and condemn those who question it.
Anil,
You missed or deliberately missed out one thing. 14 millions has been paid by Abad Naluri to PDC and they are asking for this money back. So if you want to terminate you have to pay back compensation and with interest. Either way you can still negotiate another deal which will benefit the people and State of Penang. Land is scarce in Penang and it is very expensive. It cannot simply be used for a park or recreation area without precise planning. The planning must have commercial value that bring income and the same time enviromental friendly
Was the RM14 million reported anywhere? The whole deal lacks transparency, so how am I to know all the details? The state government must make the principal agreement public. I am flabbergasted that with just a small deposit (if any), the firm can lay claim to 750 acres of potential prime land? Wah! Why should the firm be compensated (with interest!??) when they failed to fulfil their part of the deal regarding payments and use of the land? Anyway, what is RM14 million compared to the actual worth of the land today? That 750 acres of land could easily fetch… Read more »
14 millions is only the deposit. It has been reported in the media
Are you getting confused with the RM14.5 million deposit that Abad Naluri was trying to recover from the Penang Turf Club for the Batu Gantong land?
http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/7/18/business/4344284&sec=business
My post was mainly referring to the Batu Kawan land deal between Abad Naluri and PDC.
PDC is still run by BN and UMNO loyalists. If anything proper is to be done, it must be re-structured. These people’s mentality (seems to be) to serve the interest of BN connected cronies over that of the public.
LBJ please name the so-called BN and UMNO loyalists in PDC if you have the names. Obvious you do not know what you are talking about but taking some potshots in an desperate effort to defend the Great Leader & Cheap Minister.
PDC now has been changed top to bottom, filled with the same political appointees that LGE and DAP used to accuse BN of.
K…
There is no need to name them. It is all so obvious. My Gerakan member friend was one of the manager in PDC. PDC has always been in the bottom league right from the start since its inception. I believed a Cheap Minister is better than one that has no KPI or one like KTK that cannot bark. Or some ex President from Gerakan like Lim Keng Yaik who during his time in BN was too scare or dumb to bark but now seem so brave at last….yes brave but toothless….
WE VOTED FOR CHANGE, NOT FOR SAME! We, the electorate in Penang who voted for the DAP voted for change. Lim Guan Eng – read our lips! We expected DAP to be different. But now increasingly, we see that Lim Guan Eng and his brain-dead DAP exco are only interested in carrying on from where Koh Tsu Koon and his Gerakan/BN corporate goons left off. We, the Penang electorate, have been hoodwinked and short-changed by the DAP. LGE obviously does not understand the mindset of Penangites. He thinks like a crass corporate lackey who only wants to continue vulgar big-ticket,… Read more »
Andrew well said… I guess this is another case of “SATU LAGI PROJEK KERAJAAN DAP”. If LGE doesn’t read our lips, he’ll be (booted out) come next GE. DAP – Development Above People DAP – Developements Are Priority DAP – Developers Are our Partners CAT – Condo, Apartments and Townhouses DAP likes to portray itself as a social democratic party but since 0308 has mutated into a Capatalist Corporation that only has ears for towkays and Big Business and shoves the ordinary rakyat we voted them in. This is not just apparent in Penang but also in Selangor where the… Read more »
K, Just to correct you – In Sgor, hillside development above 40deg gradient has been banned. Something that BN is not able, and not willing, to do previously. Logging in mangrove forest has been stopped – licenses will not be issued anymore. In Subang Jaya where I live, our DAP ADUN has been working hand-in-hand with residents to stop development of Telekom land for commercial building. The preservation of the Subang Ria park has the full support of our ADUN. I can go on and on .. but I shan’t bore you. You probably have been reading too much MSM,… Read more »
Andrew Aeria, please allow me to disagree with you. 1. Transparency International actually gave special credit to Penang State govt’s governance despite Msia as a whole getting a very poor rating. 2. What crass corporate lackey are you talking about ? what “flatten-everything” development ? you are not giving any specifics. You are just raving and ranting. 3. the Pg State govt has been very financially responsible. They managed to collect millions of ringgit in unpaid quit rents. They managed to save millions of ringgit in cost by (for eg) flying economy and AirAsia where possible. The state expenditure came… Read more »
Aeria, Development is what Penang need. Big business is what Penang need. Unless you wish to replace back the Bayan Lepas Industrial estate into padi field or the Prai & Butterworth Industrial Estate back to the slum it was once. Or you may want to replace and knock down all the hotels development by the seaside and replace them with trees that once it was. Or maybe you may want to knock down all the condo and flat in Tg Bungah, Jelutong, Bayan Lepas, Paya terubong…etc etc … YOU KNOW WHAT … YOU & YOUR NEXT GENERATION WILL HAVE …… Read more »
Lim Guan Heng and Penang State Exco please be more transparent as you promised to be. I know you want Penang to be successful economically but it also should be environment and people friendly. What happened to CAT.
Terminate the deal and forfeit the down payment if any !
If the deal has not gone through and the state needs to raise some money as the federal government is squeezing its allocations, then the land should be sold under open tender.