GEORGE TOWN: Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng wants his predecessor Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon to explain why he invited Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to launch the proposed RM25 billion Penang Global City Centre (PGCC) project last year when it had yet to be approved by the local council.

Lim said it was wrong for Koh, whom he replaced as the chief minister after the March 8 general election, not to inform Abdullah about the status of the proposed mammoth project.

"I think it was not right for Koh to mislead Abdullah on this matter.

"This was an embarrasment to Abdullah as he was deceived by Koh.

"How could this happen? I want Koh to enlighten me," Lim said after launching the DAP Bukit Bendera member of parliament Liew Chin Tong's service centre yesterday.
Lim said Koh, as the head of the state administration then, knew that the project had yet to be approved.

He also questioned the change in status of the land from "recreational" to "development" in the State Structural Plan 2006-2020 last June.

Lim was commenting on a statement by former Local Government Committee chairman Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan on Saturday that the PGCC project had not been approved by the previous state administration.

Showing reporters a copy of the structural plan, Lim said contrary to Dr Teng's statement that the plan did not specify the type of land use, it was indicated in the plan that the land had been earmarked for the purpose of development.

He criticised Dr Teng for not clarifying the status of the project earlier. "It should have been done during Koh's administration."

He also questioned Dr Teng's statement that the previous state government had not decided on the premium to be levied on the developer.

"The sale of 105 hectares of land to the PGCC developer was only for RM488 million, but the project is worth a whopping RM25 billion. Something is certainly not right," Lim said.

Koh could not be reached for comment.