Lim: No need to declassify state exco minutes
Written by Regina William, The Edge
Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng does not see the need for the state government to declassify the state exco meeting minutes which discussed the Kampung Buah Pala issue as demanded by Penang Gerakan chief Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan.
Lim said it was not necessary to declassify the documents as the Kampung Buah Pala issue was never approved by the current state government.
Teng had challenged Lim a few days ago to declassify the documents as he said the current PR administration had a clear hand in the transfer of the village land as it accepted more than RM2 million premium from landowner Koperasi Pegawai Pegawai Kanan Kerajaan Pulau Pinang, the same month it took over the state government on March 8, 2008.
He had also lambasted Lim for only declassifying the previous BN state government executive council minutes but not the present PR state exco minutes.
Lim said the issue was not deliberated nor discussed by the present state exco.
"We were told there was nothing to deliberate or approve as it had all been sealed, signed, approved and done by the previous BN state exco.
"I did not sign a single document in favour of the land transfer or sale, either on behalf of the state government or even developer," Lim said at a press conference.
Though almost all the houses at the village have been flattened to the ground, the debate between Gerakan and the DAP-led state government has not dissipated with both sides making numerous statements on the issue.
Before Teng challenged Lim, Lim had challenged Teng to prove that the PR state administration had finalised the deal and accused the previous BN state government of selling the Kampung Buah Pala land at cheap rates and without consulting the residents.
The Kampung Buah Pala case dates back to August 2004 and July 2005, when the previous state executive council reportedly approved the sale of the land at a premium of RM20 a square feet or RM6.42 million. In 2007, the executive council halved the premium.
The land was supposed to have been given to Koperasi Pegawai Pegawai Kanan Kerajaan Pulau Pinang in exchange of a plot of land, which was used to build the newer court buildings along Light Street recently.
The residents had sued the cooperative and the developer, Nusmetro Ventures (P) Sdn Bhd and the High Court ruled in their favour in October last year.
The decision was overturned by the Court of Appeal on May 11, giving the cooperative and Nusmetro vacant possession and the villagers took the case to the federal court, which also dismissed their case in June 14 on grounds that the villagers did not have locus standi.
Another appeal filed by the residents was also thrown out by the Federal Court in August which led to the developer moving in to demolish the houses a few weeks ago.
