GEORGE TOWN: Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has welcomed anti-graft authorities to investigate him over his RM2.8 million bungalow purchase last year.
Lim said he was investigated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission over the rental of the same bungalow in 2009 but no action was taken against him.
"Although the MACC has acted rather speedily compared to other cases, I will give my full cooperation to them.
"I would like to urge them to expedite the investigation as I am very sure that there is no element of graft in the purchase of my house and the sale of the state-owned Taman Manggis land," he said in a press statement today.
Lim went on to describe the allegations towards him as 'malicious slander' and 'dirty politics' played by his opposition.
The issue of Lim’s bungalow cropped up during a Dewan Rakyat sitting on Wednesday, when Penang parliamentarian Datuk Shahbudin Yahya (Umno-Tasek Gelugor) asked authorities to probe the matter.
Shahbudin claimed that Lim could be "directly or indirectly" involved in the sale of the state land that was supposed to be developed for low-cost homes.
Meanwhile, Lim said he had obtained a RM2.1 million bank loan for the bungalow and had paid RM700,000 in cash from his salary as CM and elected representative.
He also said the Taman Manggis land was sold to the highest bidder; and the state Tender Board was not chaired by him.
"The owner of the bungalow is not involved in the company that had won the tender, not a shareholder or a director as well," Lim said.
He had also told his detractors that a Penang Umno leader had apologised to him before a High Court judge for making slanderous allegation that he had received kickbacks from the company who bought the Taman Manggis land.