Penang Gerakan says state PAC and MACC should investigate controversial Byram land deal

GEORGE TOWN, Oct 20 — Penang Gerakan has called on Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow to ask for the controversial Batu Kawan Industrial Park 2 (BKIP2) land deal in Byram to be investigated by the state Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

Penang Gerakan chairman Oh Tong Keong said Chow, as the Penang Development Corporation chairman, should ask PAC and MACC to investigate the land sale transaction between PDC and UMECH Land Sdn Bhd.

“The state government and PDC should cooperate with both PAC and MACC in their investigations to prove that there were no elements of fraud or abuse of power in the state government and PDC in the controversial land sale,” he said in a statement issued today.

He said after the investigations, a new open tender to sell land should be called in accordance with standard operating procedures.

The Gerakan deputy president said the fact that Chow is initiating legal proceedings against Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce (PCCC) life honorary president Tan Sri Tan Kok Ping should not distract from the land deal issue at hand.

“We must not forget that the land deal in Batu Kawan was signed without an open tender,” he said.

He said investigations into the land deal must continue.

“The cancellation of the deal recently after the furore over the deal showed that there are issues in the land sale transaction,” he said.

He said the state should learn from the controversy by identifying what went wrong with the deal and ensure the same mistakes were not repeated.

Oh was referring to the now-cancelled land sale by PDC to UMECH Land Sdn Bhd that PCCC claimed was done at below market value and without an open tender.

A few days ago, Tan in a press conference reportedly labelled Chow as “useless, incompetent and shameless” in the way he handled the controversial land deal.

Chow yesterday responded that the state exco had decided for Chow to take legal action against Tan for tarnishing his image as chief minister and degrading him.

Oh said the decision by the state exco yesterday might show that the state excos are fully supportive of Chow.

“However, the people want to know if other Pakatan Harapan and Umno assemblymen stand with Chow in protecting his dignity and credibility as the chief minister and leader of the state government,” he said.