The PGCC project has been the biggest land scam in Penang, Penang Chief Minister Guan Eng said today, adding there were a couple of other large scams still under investigation.
He was responding to a statement by Teng Hock Nan yesterday (see full statement below). The previous Penang state government had converted the Turf Club land from open recreational area to “new development” under the Penang Structure Plan gazetted in June 2007.
Critics claim the state lost between RM120 million and RM400 million in conversion fees as the conversion was done before the PGCC project was approved while the state forfeited RM1.5 billion in potential revaluation surplus, which it would have earned had it purchased the land from the Penang Turf Club itself instead of allowing the land to be sold to Abad Naluri. A priceless green lung has also been put in danger of being turned into a congrete jungle instead of into a People’s Park.
Teng said yesterday the Municipal Council had not made any decision on the PGCC nor had the previous state government decided whether and how much premiums or charges to levy on Abad Naluri, the PGCC developer. “Therefore, since no decision has been made as yet, it is up to the new state government and the MPPP to make whatever decision that they think suitable with respect to the site and any development proposal, including whatever charges to be imposed.”
In response, Guan Eng said: “I want to ask Koh Tsu Koon what are the consequences of (re)rezoning the land.” He said he knew the consequences but he wanted Koh to tell him. “Show me you are on top of your job. You have been chief minister for 18 years. You tell me what are the consequences should we want to rezone it,” he challenged Koh. Guan Eng said all this with a smile.
“Koh Tsu Koon is in big trouble,” observed one journalist who was present.
Some believe that rezoning the land back to recreational status could leave the state open to claims for compensation. So the state might not want to do anything with the land at the moment and just leave things as they are – but that could open the land to other forms of property development later, dashing hopes that it could be turned into a People’s Park.
As one activist observed, Teng’s statement yesterday just reinforced the fact that nothing has been approved, but failed to answer why the previous state government rezoned the land without waiting for an application from the developer.
Guan Eng posed more pointed questions to Koh and Teng. When the change was made from tanah lapang dan rekreasi to pembangunan baru, how does this benefit the public interest, he asked. “Why and how did you change this?”
As for the previous administration holding public hearings to obtain the views of the public, Guan Eng said he would let the NGOs reply to this. He said as far as he knew, civil society groups were largely unaware of these public hearings.
The Penang Chief Minister added Koh and Teng had misled the Prime Minister when they got him to officiate at the launch of the PGCC last October, when the project had not yet been approved. “Why did you allow the PM to embarrass himself in launching an illegal project?”
One activist remarked that he finds it hard to believe that Abdullah was not aware of the background and status of the project. The PM had said back then he wanted all approvals to be expedited.
Another activist commented:
And here is Teng’s statement in full:
Statement by Dato’ Dr Teng Hock Nan
Former Penang State Exco Member in charge of Local Government
THE PROPOSED PGCC PROJECT:
PREVIOUS STATE GOVERNMENT DID NOT APPROVE AS YET
PRESENT GOVERNMENT CAN DECIDE AND IMPOSE LEVIES
It must be emphasised that the application for planning permission by the developer of the proposed Penang Global City Centre (PGCC) project has not yet been approved by the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) under the previous state government as of 8 March 2008.
The previous state government has also not made any decision as yet on whether and how much premiums or charges were to be levied on the developer relating to the proposed PGCC project.
The formulation of the structure plan, which made provisions on zoning of development for the whole state, followed the proper provisions and procedure for structure plan under the Town and Country Planning Act. Public exhibitions and hearings were held in 2006 – 2007 on the draft structure plan which was finalised and gazetted in June 2007.
In this respect, the structure plan did not specify the type (residential or commercial or “mixed”) and the scale (density, plot ratio, etc) of “new development” zoned on that site.
The MPPP can still decide whether to reject or approve any development proposal, including the type and the scale. It is also up to the State Planning Committee chaired by the Chief Minister to provide guidance.
Therefore, since no decision has been made as yet, it is up to the new state government and the MPPP to make whatever decision that they think suitable with respect to the site and any development proposal, including whatever charges to be imposed.
Sat, 10/5/2008
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When corruption is so rampant one is inclined to be a party in it. All politicians are caught in this maelstorm. From top to bottom. Soon enough it(corruption) will develop and become part of their DNA. Shame on our leaders.
Don’t worry LgE OR the PAKATAN will not be corrupted in the next five or ten years. They have to work very hard to expose all the s*** of the previous governments in order to show Penangites that they are honest trustworthy and clean etc.so as win the next election. By then they will have to adjust the salaries of all the ADUNs and MPs if PAKATAN forms the federal government. It is necessary the salaries of the ADUNs and MPs be on par with the private sectors so as to attract those with qualifications, honest people to join the… Read more »
to,puteriledang.
You have be whack trou left and rights.pLease defend yourself.
We always give chances for new ideas if you can prove you are rights.
Raj Raman666.i am not your supporters but want to “whack” u also but give you the chance to explain or retract your comments.
Thief will always be thief.
Thief will always thinks that other people are thieves.
(Some) BN goons are thieves, and they think that it is perfectly okay to steal because they think everybody are theives and everybody else are like them, stealing everything everyday.
That is why we do not need to focus too much on that puteri s*** on her thiefy thoughts.
I am not quite agreed that Tsu Koon himself will be bold enough to have plot out this scam. A few Babe Nasional in today’s Parliament house must have involved and they are the real culprits. Expose more Anil, give these bunch of rotting creatures the wrath of rakyat.
“Some believe that rezoning the land back to recreational status could leave the state open to claims for compensation”. Easy solution. Ask Koh Tsu Khoon and all former BN excos to pay the compensation. They were the ones for leaving these s*** for LGE to clean. Poor LGE! I have lost my respects totally for Koh after reading how the developers enjoy a ‘gift’ of RM200 mil in the form of fees waiver from the previous Government. We trusted the previous government under Koh to help Penangites. Instead we were denied thast millions by him. BN would be history in… Read more »
puteriledang,
Don’t ever, ever compare the integrity & honesty of the PR leaders with the BN leaders They belong to 2 very vast difference in class.
After having witnessed the standard of running a country for so many years, even a ten year old kid can distinguish the difference.
PR macam stallion.
BN macam donkey.
You bela anak donkey oleh dapat stallionkah?
puteriledang, It is not that the world is round. It is ‘you get what you had sown’. BN, with UMNO as its leader, had been sowing bad seeds, now what UMNO and the BN component parties are reaping are bad results. The ghosts it has created is now back to haunt it. This is just the only beginning, the next thing that is going to happen is all those who have perpetuated betrayal of the people will have nightly nightmares. You just wait and see.
Yeah, also audit the NS youth camp in Genting Hills set up by the former MP. Don’t wait until another death comes about before doing so.
Habis lah if let Pakatan govt decides whether to approve or not to approve the project. Better sell Equine shares.
Oh S***, Guan Eng, you’ve just committed an seditious act! You disclosed too much. See you in jail!
AG, please act against him ASAP.
To lim guan eng and the pakatan govt, for the levys, rezone it or leave it, but charge the full amount for the conversion losses, full 400 million and state there was and oversight, than full 2 billion in re-valuation surplus, put a caveat on this land that it cannot be touched, and if ever pakatan looses in future, make sure there is a clause in the caveat in the clause that there must be a refrendum by the people of penang to decide, as no money or goodwill money was paid but contract lapsed, pull it back from the… Read more »
puteri ledang please don’t compare bn with the pakatan, by your and bns’ standards if they ar rotten to the core than others must be like them, the answer is no, pakatan rakyat has seen too much corruption by bn, to follow that path, why the Championing of Malay rights, or religion, do you think the bn people really care about the rakyat, the answer is a very big no, because if the past and present pm had cared this would never had happened, the ketuanan and nep is only for the rich and influential of the pirates from bn… Read more »
Penangites have been CHEATED by the BN government the last 18 years with a useless & clueless Koh, CM without b****. Even as a life member of MCA, I had been telling friends and families to vote the oppositions the last 3 GE when I had seen those BN politicians corrupt to the core.
As for the PUTERI COW DUNG, this change in Penang is for good. No hope for BN to come into power the next GE. Too late…
“The Penang Chief Minister added Koh and Teng had misled the Prime Minister when they got him to officiate at the launch of the PGCC last October, when the project had not yet been approved”
That’s a smart way of saying. In actual fact it was Patrick Badawi who is behind the whole scheme.
Go on expose who is “Abad Naluri ? There is similarity in the way the land was sold. Remember Free Trade zone in Klang ? All in the same boat.
Dear puteriledang, You may think it is easy to do others’ job or duties, the question is why aren’t you doing it? It is always easier to sit back and comment on “after the fact” events then to actually make the facts. We all hope to have better changes and everyone need a moral booster every now end then and a simple pat on the back goes a long way. The world is round indeed but why condemn about things that might not happen? I won’t know if the current PG administration will be corrupt or not, I hope they… Read more »
Very sorry puteriledang,you would be disappointed if you are hoping that Guan Eng and his colleagues would follow the path taken by Tsu Koon and his gang …. We Penangites are confident of our Penang state government and they can outperform BN in every aspect.
Just squat under your coconut tree and see how Penang is developed while Ali Rastam is busy with pig business.
Dear Penangites, This is the case of ‘pot calling the kettle black’…. This time is rather easy for CM Lim to do his job, just dig the s*** out of the former govt. …. I can do that also lah… You all wait for about 1 year when the dust settle and when no one notice…. our new govt. might also fall into the trap of bribery, arrogance, back-stabbing… you name it! Then our hero Khairy, would be the one calling the ACA to investigate CM Lim and his Gangs…. ha ha ha Therefore, as the saying goes … the… Read more »
What need to be done has to be done !! CM LGE pls get everything done to the bottom, we can’t let these people get away with it …… they have screw up the country for their own good. What a shame for those who still vote for BN.
Penangites are not given a fair deal for the past 18 long years. Being the 3rd largest contributors of taxes, Penang was given less priority in terms of major development funds by the Feds. Most are chicken feeds in comparison to other states like Johor. Coupled with less fair deals in previous government’s handling of Penang land issues, how do Penangites expect to gain in the long run? Too bad Penang was previously managed by an incompetent, pea-sized guts of a CM too mellow to ask for a fair deal for Penang.
Twist facts to cover misdeeds, this is exactly why the BN state government of Penang and Selangor are doing. The fact that they had been in the seats of government for so long had emboldened them. They thought they would never be caught. Well, their days of reckoning is up, they will be exposed for all their greed,
Never, never vote these people back again. Bring down the rest of them.
“The Penang Chief Minister added Koh and Teng had misled the Prime Minister when they got him to officiate at the launch of the PGCC last October, when the project had not yet been approved”
1) Did Koh or Teng actually got PM to officiate the launch?
2) If not, Koh or Teng, who got PM to officate the launch?
3) Do Koh or Teng know got PM to officiate the launch?
4) If Koh or Teng know who, will they tell?
3) If Koh or Teng don’t tell, why?
Land scam to the max – I am glad March 8 came along.
what else to comment mr.anil,just reading throu all the corupted people be expose with facts and detail accounts.
Just commenting for the sake of moral support for your goodwork.To many corruption expose by you but the devil is joining hand with the angel to rape this beloved country.
Where is the ACA-another moron?If this corruption done by Pas,PKR or Dap by now its a national news with demo without permits and with no water cannon and tear gas.
raj raman666.MY EYESSSSSS NO MORE TEARS,ITS DRIED UP LONG TIME AGO…
The turf club issue is but the tiny tip of a very large iceberg. Things have gotten so rotten that even what we already knew about the turf club fiasco is being considererd by Teng as just a non-issue. I mean, hanky-panky, to the eyes of Teng is nothing, because he (ought to know) of even more serious violation of laws behind the scene. Therefore, it isn’t a turf-club issue anymore. We, the people, ought to have the right to know what’s actually happened, and the right to know the real truth of the damage the previous government has created… Read more »