GEORGE TOWN: The DAP-led Penang government has allegedly sold a staggering 2,000ha of land to private developers since it took office in 2008.
Penang Gerakan Youth acting chairman Jason Loo, who was served with three writ of summons from Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng last month for revealing the sale of land in Peel Avenue to Island Hospital, said the state government had been selling the state lands quietly.
He said he would fight on to defend and protect the interests of Penangites before they were left with nothing.
“Where is the future of the Penangites when all the state-owned land, which belongs to the people, is sold to private developers to build high-density apartments or condominiums for rich investors?
“I strongly believe that the people have the right to know how and when their land was sold by the state government.
“I call on Penangites to join me in fighting for our rights to be heard and for freedom of speech,” he said after his lawyer Kek Boon Wei attended the case management for the three defamation suits summons issued to him, inside chambers of the Penang High Court here today.
In Loo’s statement, he alleged that the state government had sold 2178.72ha of various plots of land to a number of private developers over the years.
These include the sale of 2.56ha of Peel Avenue land.
The biggest portion of the land that was allegedly sold is the 1,800ha that is yet to be reclaimed under the Permatang Damar Laut Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project to a construction company.
Loo said the state government set up Chief Minister Incorporated (CMI) In 2009, which had served as a platform to sell land to private developers,
“Previous Barisan Nasional state governments did not require a CMI to govern the state for 61 years, so why did this state government set up CMI within a year after they took over the state?
“Why are there no board of members or board of committees in the CMI? Many questions are left unanswered by the chief minister or his exco (executive council) members,” he added.
Loo said he would speak to his lawyers about striking out at least one of the three writ of summons issued to him,
In one of the three defamation suits, Loo is named as the sole defendant, while the other two name him, China Press and Guang Ming Daily.
In the statements of claims, Lim is demanding that Loo, China Press and Guang Ming Daily withdraw and retract the defamatory statements published in the respective newspapers.
Lim also asked for a public apology to be published and an injunction to stop Loo and the two Chinese dailies from publishing similar defamatory statements against him.