Gerakan to sue DAP over Penang BN land allegations

PETALING JAYA: Gerakan is considering taking legal action against Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng for "repeated misinformation" and misleading the people.

"Gerakan respects the individual right of expression and the freedom of speech but maintains that the truth must be brought forward and the spinning of facts must be stopped," said the party's national legal and human rights bureau chairman Datuk Baljit Singh.

Baljit claimed Lim had been misinforming the people in relation to two projects, namely Tanjung Pinang and Jelutong Highway Land, "in order to tarnish the previous Barisan Nasional state government led by Gerakan".

"Tanjung Pinang is a 980 acres land which was supposedly "sold" for RM1 psf under the previous BN government," he said.

"In fact, there was no land sold as it is a land reclamation concession," said Baljit.

Furthermore, Baljit said that 37% of the land reclaimed would be returned to KGM-PDC in which 47 acres were handed back to the Penang State Government for free.

"Under phase 2 (STP 2) which 760 acres were reclaimed, 191 acres was handed back to the people of Penang," he said.

In regards to the second allegation that the Barisan government sold the Jelutong Highway land for RM20/sq ft, Baljit said it was a privatisation project signed in 1997.

"As we all know prices of land was much lower 20 years ago compared to today," said Baljit.

"This project was awarded by way of open tender to Jelutong Development Sdn Bhd (JDSB)," he said.

In addition, Baljit said that JDSB has to reclaim the land at their own cost and had to build 5,500 low cost unit flats for the people.

"The current state government is only interested in tarnishing the previous state government's reputation," said Baljit.

"In fact, they have sold more land in Penang between the year 2011 to 2017 (approximately six years) compared to any other states," he said.