SARAWAK LIVE: Penang CM

Sarawak DAP's supporters LOVE to read this...

Actually its all about Penang; the DAP-led government which has always been the best example used by Sarawak DAP leaders to influence Sarawak's voters.

Penangites are annoyed with the DAP-led state government’s recent revelation that it only had a very small land bank left.

In fact, many did not take kindly to senior state executive councillor Chow Kon Yeow’s admission that Penang cannot fund its own highly ambitious RM27 billion Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) even if it sells all the land it has, which warranted massive land reclamations.

In recent weeks, several photos made their way onto social media, with insinuations about the state government’s land deals.

One of them showed that Penang’s land bank had dropped from 18 per cent in 2008, when it came to power, to six per cent in 2014.

It also showed the state government’s expenditure had increased from RM270 million in 2008 to RM832 million in 2014.

Another photo had the words “Many Foreign Developer (sic) lobbying Penang State Govt for Land in Penang ... Is Penang on sale now?”

Disgruntled netizens took to social media to post various comments about the state’s land deals.

Among the postings were:

“DAP-led Penang government sold about 66 per cent of land left by previous BN government. The land drop from 18 per cent to 6 per cent within 8 years. Would there be anything left for future generations if it continues to sell land?”

“... HIS (referring to Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng) father’s land?”.

“DULU dia kutuk kerajaan Kelantan ... juai tanah n pajak hutan untuk projek balak laa nii apa dah jadi sendiri ludah sendiri jilat.” (Lim had previously condemned the Kelantan government for selling and leasing its land for logging projects but look what’s happening to Penang now.)

“LAGI sikit sudah habis jual!” (In no time, all the land will be sold.)

“LAGI satu penggal, rumput pun jual habis.” (One more term, and even all the grass will be sold off.)

Even the Auditor General’s Report in 2012 mentioned that Penang’s revenue was mainly derived from the sale of land as well as taxes and fees from such transactions.

It showed that the state’s collections from land premium payments, which were typically payments from alienation of state land, had sky-rocketed more than 1,000 per cent, from RM19 million in 2008 to RM206 million in 2012.

Press reports in recent years also highlighted the sale of state land under Lim’s administration.

They include:

2011: 41ha in Bayan Mutiara (worth RM1.07 billion);

2013: 44ha in Gurney Drive (no cash involved);

2013: 16ha in Batu Kawan (RM65.34 million);

2014: 99ha in Batu Kawan (RM484 million);

2014: 12ha in Batu Kawan (RM67 million);

2014: 190ha in Batu Kawan (RM1.02 billion); and,

2014: 49 per cent of 80ha in Batu Kawan and 2ha in Bayan Lepas (no cash involved).

There have been claims that the lands were sold for RM12.5 billion. Lim should come forward to verify this figure. If it’s true, he has to justify the land sales. What are these lands used for?

The people are asking where all those billions of ringgit have gone to. What benefits did they derive from the land deals?

In fact, some of the land sold have been replaced with high-rises and bungalows, which are beyond the means of the ordinary folk here. What is even more saddening is the fact that many people here are still crying their hearts out for a decent roof over their heads.

While the state had announced several affordable and public housing projects in recent years, the end products have yet to be seen in the majority of the cases.

The ball is now in the state government’s court to address the people’s displeasure. Lim has to do away with the argument that Barisan Nasional sold more land in Penang, yet received less money.

The people should not be taken as fools as they know very well how land prices have skyrocketed in recent years. People no longer buy such arguments.

With only six per cent of state land left since 2014, one wonders whether the state government will have any land left in future to sell.

After all, the lands are the people’s assets and should remain in their hands. Why sell off land which can be developed to help the people?

The writer is NST’s Penang bureau chief. She enjoys the sun, the sea and the sand, from which she draws her inspiration.

-Sarawak Today

Penang CM must justify the project, not the politics

LETTER: This "Letter to the Editor" section is aimed at providing an opportunity for readers to air their opinions on current issues and other subjects of interest. Send your letters to editor@theantdaily.com Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

PLAYING POKER ?: Criticism has been mounting on the Penang government's land reclamation initiative with many pundits analyzing how the politicians voted and what it means for the Alliance of Hope coalition.

Meanwhile, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng justified his act of admonishing the sole DAP rep and five PKR reps for not supporting the Penang Government with the following reasons:

BN had done more of these land reclamation exercises when they were in power;

BN is too arrogant to admit fault and culpability for such exercises; and

The Penang Government would pay millions in compensation for delaying the projects when the Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) studies the projects have already given the green light.

All these arguments seem to be missing the point. Yes, there are political and economic consequences to consider, but why is the Penang Government not defending the projects itself as environmentally safe and economically viable?

See, the EIA report is not just a legal impediment where the developer ticks the box on a checklist of things that must be done before a project is given the go ahead. It is done to satisfy the government and the public that the proposed project is both safe and sound.

A DEIA study also includes getting public feedback and providing raw data and statistics on how the project is deemed environmentally safe - it has to because the Department of Environment (DOE) must reject a report that shows there are safety hazards that have not been addressed by the project proponent.

So why is Lim branches off about economic consequences and accusing Umno of culpability in the whole exercise?

As a just, transparent and accountable government, all the Penang Government has to do is show the DEIA report to the public and tell all their critics that the government was wise and just in proceeding with the land reclamation projects using the DEIA report that they approved ,

Lim has nothing to fear and all the political mileage to claim by making public the EIA report. Lim does not even have to do the job himself; just instruct the consultant that did the DEIA to explain the findings to the people of Penang at a town hall meeting and be done with it.

All this can be done while the land reclamation proceeds because the DOE had already approved the report and the justifications contained within will - without any doubt - convince the public that the project is safe. So there's no fear of paying millions in compensation to the developer as well.

About the only reason the government does not want to do this is because they do not want people to pay close attention to the reports itself.

So what will it be? Will the Penang Government show the 'ace' cards in their possession or are they just playing poker with the public while holding on to a 'joker' card? -The Ant Daily