Accept blame, Lim told
(NST) GEORGE TOWN: Former residents of Kampung Lorong Buah Pala want Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to stop trying to clear the name of the present administration over the sale of the village land.
They also want Lim to stop dragging Barisan Nasional into the "mess".
The village's residents' association chairman, M. Sugumaran, said Lim and his DAP-led Pakatan Rakyat state government should accept full responsibility for the blunder which led to their houses being demolished.
He said as far as the residents were concerned, it was the PR state government which had broken its promise to the residents to preserve the village. He said it was the present state government which had transferred the land title to Koperasi Pegawai Kerajaan Negeri Pulau Pinang and not BN.
"Stop blaming BN. Be a gentleman and accept responsibility. If not for PR's promise of preserving our village, we would not have voted you in during the general election last year."
Sugumaran said since their houses were demolished on Sept 14, none of the state government's representatives had approached them to offer assistance.
"Is this what PR claims to be a people's government? All the help we got was from non-governmental organisations."
It was reported in a news portal that Lim had gone on a fresh offensive to clear the name of the present administration over the contentious sale of the village land.
Lim had challenged former BN state executive councillor Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan to show proof of his claim that the PR state administration had finalised the deal and accused the previous BN state government of selling the land at cheap rates without consulting the residents.
He also accused Dr Teng of "the thief shouting thief".
He noted that it was the present state government which had improved the compensation secured by the previous administration of a RM75,000 flat to a RM500,000 double-storey landed property.
Dr Teng said Lim should stop hurling any accusations against BN or him. He said Lim's administration was responsible for transferring the land title to the cooperative without settling the residents properly.
"BN will never do such a thing. This is because we are aware the residents' issues had not been dealt with properly."
Dr Teng said it was due to pressure by BN and other parties that Lim finally managed to increase the compensation.
