Press Statement By Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng In George Town, Komtar On 13.11.2016.
First let me urge Penang branch of China Press to come clean and admit they made a mistake when publishing a written press statement issued by PDC General Manager Dato Rosli Jaafar, on the sale of PDC’s 49% stake Tropical Island Resort Sdn Bhd (TIRSB) for RM156 million to Q Islands Development Sdn Bhd (Q Islands), a company brought in by UDA Bhd. By refusing to admit the mistake, the Penang branch of China Press is adopting an unethical and unprofessional attitude that they can do no wrong.
Even copy and paste also, Penang branch of China Press can get it wrong.
Whilst the Penang branch of China Press can be partisan politically like the BN media in English and Malay newspapers, by choosing to highlight BN’s attacks against me and downplaying our response, they should respect the rule that “whilst opinions are free, facts are sacred”. This is the second time I am requesting the Penang branch of China Press to admit their wrongdoings and correct this false reporting. My request yesterday was not published in today’s China Press and I am compelled to put this on record in writing.
To avoid the BN media in both the non-Chinese and Chinese newspapers from using BN false attacks to twist and distort against the Pakatan Harapan’s state government on the sale of PDC’s 49% stake in TIRSB, let me summarise the key issues in writing:
1. In 1997, TIRSB was set up by both the BN Federal and BN state government with a paid-up capital of RM31.5 million. PDC had injected RM15.44 million into TIRSB for a 49% share whilst UDA contributed RM16.07 million for a 51% share. The BN state government had already surrendered control to the Federal government as early as 1997.
2. The BN State government in 2001 had then approved the award of 80 acres of leasehold land for 60 years (expiring in 2062) in Pulau Jerejak to TIRSB, at a price of RM12.95 million or RM3.71 per square feet(psf).
3. In 2001, the market value of the 80 acres of Pulau Jerejak land is RM47.6 million or RM13.65 psf. In other words the BN state government had sold the land nearly 4 times cheaper or at a loss of RM 34.6 million to TIRSB. This is 73% below the market price.
4. The land title was transferred to TIRSB by the then BN state government on January 3, 2001 even before the land premium of RM12.95 million had been fully paid. TIRSB only completed paying the balance RM10.60 million in owed land premium sometime in 2012, after we threatened to take back the land.
5. TIRSB was already making losses since 2001 and yet PDC gave out a loan of RM3.4 million to TIRSB on 28 December 2007, at an interest rate of 3.5% per annum. The loan principal and interest had increased to RM4.4 million by 2016.
6. UDA brought in Q Islands a subsidiary company of Ideal Property Development Sdn Bhd(Ideal), to offer to buy out PDC’s 49% stake for RM156 million. UDA is the effective owner of TIRSB with 51% majority control. PDC cannot do anything without UDA’s consent. Unlike PDC, UDA can sell its shares without PDC’s consent. It is ridiculous for BN and Gerakan to claim that PDC can dictate terms to UDA with only 49% control.
7. PDC’s condition for the sale was that the RM4.4 million loan must be settled first and considered separately from the RM156 million sale price. This was accepted by UDA and the RM4.4 million loan was fully paid up in April 2016.
8. TIRSB had incurred losses of RM40 million as at end of 2015, and was no longer financially viable. Therefore, PDC agreed to the sale for its 49% stake in TIRSB for RM156 million. The 10% deposit for RM15.6 million has also been paid and received by PDC. Payment will be made over a period of 8 years. PDC shares will only be transferred after full payment is made in 2024.
9. In other words, PDC will receive a total of RM160.4 million. With this equity sale, PDC will recover its cost of investment of RM15.44 million, together with the shareholders’ loan and interest of RM4.4 million which has also been paid. PDC will make a profit of RM 140.6 million.
10. The development plans submitted by UDA over the 80 acres must observe environmental safeguards and comply with Environment Impact Assessment(EIA) requirements. For instance, the bridge linking to Pulau Jerejak will not allow cars and vehicles to cross to Pulau Jerejak.
11. The heritage buildings, especially the famous prison camp, will be retained and restored. There will a 11.5km round island cycling track and the remaining part of the island will be gazetted as a forest reserves.
12. Gerakan’s claims of the Pakatan state government approving the building of a casino is untrue . In fact it is UMNO Padang Besar MP who supported the call for building a casino in Penang, a suggestion that is rejected by the Pakatan state government.
The Pakatan state government took 8 long years of determined insistence of protecting the rights of the people of Penang over Pulau Jerejak, to finally secure this transaction that is fair and favourable.
Once again the Pakatan state government had rehabilitated and saved a failed BN project as well as recouped our investment, loans and losses. Not only did we recoup back our RM4.4 million loan and the amount invested of RM15.44 million by selling for RM156 million. We also disposed off our 49% stake in a loss-making company, TIRSB with RM 40 million losses, to secure a profit of RM140.6 million that is nearly 10 times over our initial investment.
This is clear case of sour grapes when Gerakan attacks the sale because they failed to do what we have done by recouping the RM15.44 million investment and the RM4.4 million loan. Despite this remarkable turnaround of also recording a profit of RM140.6 million that is nearly 10 times the amount invested, Gerakan and BN Penang continues to attack us for selling out on Pulau Jerejak to the BN Federal Government. Are they not part of BN?
More importantly Gerakan should be ashamed of themselves for selling out Pulau Jerejak as early as 1997. This is a classic case of a “thief shouting thief”! A tragic end after 20 long years has somehow been avoided by the Pakatan state government. Whilst the Pakatan state government does not need Gerakan to thank us for recouping our investments, loans and losses, Gerakan should apologise to the people of Penang for acting against public interest when they sold out to TIRSB in 1997.
LIM GUAN ENG
=====================================================
槟城州首席部长林冠英于2016年11月13日在乔治市光大的文告
槟州发展机构共1亿4060万令吉的利润，及时抢救及复苏了PDC在440万令吉借贷及1544万令吉投资上的失败。
首先让我奉劝中国报北马办事处必须澄清及承认他们在刊登槟发展机构总经理拿督罗斯里关于槟发展机构将49%股权以1亿5600万令吉售予UDA引介之Q Island发展有限公司的文告时出现错误。中国报北马办事处拒绝承认错误，只显示他们不肯承认错误，缺乏新闻道德与新闻专业操守。
即便是复制张贴文告，槟城中国报北马办事处也可以出现错误。
虽然中国报北马办事处可以像国阵英文及马来媒体一样有政党立场来攻击我们及刻意贬低我们的回应，但他们应该尊重“虽然意见是自由的，但事实才是神圣的”这句金科玉律。这已经是我第二次针对这项错误要求中国报北马办事处承认他们的错误并更正。我昨日的要求并没有刊登在中国报，因此我以书面要求作为记录。
为了避免国阵非华文与华文媒体以国阵弄虚作假的攻击来扭曲及破坏希盟州政府销售槟发展机构在TIRSB的49%股权的事宜，允许我以书面摘录整件事的来龙去脉：
1. Tropical Island Resort私人有限公司经是在1997年，由联邦政府及州政府联手创立，当时的缴足资本为3150万令吉。PDC挹注了1544万令吉在TIRSB，占49%股权；另一方面，UDA则投入1607万令吉，握有51%股权。 国阵州政府早在1997年，已经将有关的控制权交给联邦政府。
2. 2001年，国阵州政府批准了一块位于木蔻山占地80英亩的66年地契（至2062年）予TIRSB，时价为1295万令吉（也即是每平方尺3令吉71仙 ）。
3. 以当时（2001年）的市价来看，这片80英亩的土地市价为4760万令吉，或每平方尺13令吉65仙。换言之，国阵政府以低于市价近4倍的价格，出售有关地皮给ISRSB，或是亏损3460万令吉。这是比市价低了73%。
4. 更出人意表的是，国阵州政府于2001年1月3日，在还未收齐1295万令吉全款，就将地契转移给TIRSB。TIRSB 在我们恫言“若不付还购地之余额，我们将收回有关的地皮”后，才于2012年偿还所有的1060万令吉欠款。
5. 尽管TIRSB自2001的年起即已开始亏损，槟发展机构却在2007年12月28日以每年3.5%的利息提供340万令吉贷款给TIRSB。贷款本金与利息在2016年已经增加为440万令吉。
6. 城市发展机构控股有限公司（UDA）将宏升產业（Ideal ）之子公司Q Islands带入，以1亿5600万令吉献购槟州发展机构（PDC）之49%股权。UDA 是TIRSB的有效持有人，因为他们掌控了51%的多数股权。槟州发展机构在没有获得UDA的同意下，是不可以做任何的事的。与PDC不同的是， UDA可以在无需征求PDC同意的情况下，将其股权出售。因此， 国阵及民政党声称PDC可以凭49%的拥股权而指示UDA是可笑的。
7. 槟州发展机构接受UDA献购建议的其中一个条件，就是他们得必须偿还这440万令吉的贷款，而且这440万令吉得跟49%股份销售分开。UDA同意这条件，并已经在2016年4月全额偿还了440万令吉的贷款。
8. 截2015年杪，TIRSB所面对的亏损为4000万令吉， 而且在财政上已经几乎不可行了。因此，槟州发展机构同意以1亿5600万令吉，将其在TIRSB的49%股权出让。PDC目前已收到1560万令吉或10%的抵押金，有关余款将分8年偿还，换言之，PDC的股权会在2024年对方偿清余额后，才会转移到他们的名下。
9. 换言之，槟州发展机构将会总共获得1亿6040万令吉。随着这项股权出售，槟州发展机构不只已经将当初1544万令吉的投资回本，而且当初贷款给TIRSB的440万令吉贷款也已偿还。槟州发展机构因此获得1亿4060万的利润。
10.有关由城市发展机构控股有限公司（UDA）提呈的总面积80英亩之发展计划，必需遵守环境保护条例，及符合环境评估报告（EIA）的条例。例如，衔接槟岛与木蔻山的桥梁是不允许汽车及其他交通工具进入木蔻山。
11. 岛内的古迹建筑物，特别是著名的监狱营将会获得保留及修复。岛上也将会有全长11.5公里的环岛脚车道，而岛上剩余的土地，将宪报为森林保留地。
12. 民政党声称希联州政府已经批准兴建赌场，是不真实的。实际上，是巫统巴东勿刹国会议员呼吁在槟城兴建赌场的。是项建议已经被希联州政府所拒绝。
希望联盟州政府用了8年的决心与坚持，捍卫槟城人民在木蔻山的利益，最终取得了这项公平、有利的交易。
再一次，希联州政府成功恢复及拯救国阵的失败计划，同时填补回我们的投资、贷款及亏损。 我们以1亿5600万令吉出售股权，不只成功收回借出去的440万令吉贷款，也收回了当初所注资的1544万令吉的投资。我们也成功地脱售了连年亏损、总亏损额高达4000万令吉的TIRSB公司之49%股权，并从中获得1亿4060万令吉的利润，这可是我们当初投资的近10倍呢！
民政党就这项脱售股权而展开的攻击，很明显的是酸葡萄心态，因为他们当权的时候，无法像我们一样也收回当初所注资的1544万令吉的投资，以及收回借出去的440万令吉贷款。尽管我们创下了这显著的周转，也创下了当初投资的近10倍也即是1亿4060万令吉的利润，民政党及国阵依然继续攻击我们将木蔻山出售给国阵联邦政府一事。难道他们不是国阵的一份子吗？
更重要的是，民政党应为他们早在1997年就卖掉木蔻山而感到羞耻。这是典型的“做贼喊贼”案例！这20多年的悲剧，被希联州政府避开并终结了。 希联州政府并不需要民政党感谢我们收回投资、贷款及亏损，但民政党需为他们在1997年将TIRSB出售一事向槟州人民道歉。
林冠英