Guan Eng: Penang may declassify documents to clear land conversion issue

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The Penang government may declassify minutes of its state executive council and land committee meetings on a controversial land conversion approval, following criticisms by the Barisan Nasional (BN) state opposition.

Chief Minister and DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng said the state exco will be requested to open up confidential minutes on the decision to convert from leasehold to freehold, a 1.4ha plot in George Town‘s Unesco heritage zone.

The seafront land adjacent to the E&O Hotel in Farquhar Street here is earmarked for a construction project by PDC Heritage Hotel Sdn Bhd - a joint venture between the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) and YTL Hotels & Properties Sdn Bhd - for luxurious condominiums and an eatery.

The issue was first brought up by Umno’s Pulau Betong assemblyman Muhammad Farid Saad earlier this month when he questioned Lim over his written reply in the last State Assembly sitting in August, that there were no were no freehold conversions approved between April last year and June this year.

Former Deputy Chief Minister and Umno state assemblyman for Teluk Bahang, Datuk Dr Hilmi Yahaya, and Penang Gerakan chairman and former state executive councillor Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan have since said Lim could be referred to the assembly’s disciplinary committee if he were found to have misled the house.

Lim, who is also PDC chairman, said in a statement issued today that Farid had, in his assembly query to him, referred to conversions on state government lands.

“According to the Land and Mines Office, this meant the lands that were referred to were government lands held under the State Secretary Incorporated (SSI),” Lim said.

“At this time, there are no such applications received by SSI,” he added.

Lim also said the equity between PDC (49%) and YTL (51%) in PDC Heritage Hotel Sdn Bhd had been changed, but did not give details - Agencies.

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