Press Conference Statement By Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng In Penang On 21.11.2016.
BN’s control of newspapers and the newspapers’ unprofessional and unethical attitude, in not demanding that Penang BN Chairman Teng Chang Yeow show proof of his allegation against me, have afforded Teng the luxury of freedom to lie. BN newspapers in the English and Malay media whether The Star, New Straits Times, Berita Harian and Utusan Malaysia have no public credibility or integrity because they engage in false reports and lies to stir up racial and extremist sentiments against the Penang Pakatan state government.
However some Chinese papers comprising Sin Chew, Guang Ming and China Press.have practiced double-standards by demanding that the state government show proof but not daring to demand that Teng fulfill the same high standards of showing proof. Sin Chew and Guang Ming even blacked out my press statement. This follows a serious allegation by Teng on 16 November 2016, when criticising the sale of Penang Development Corporation’s (PDC) 49% stake in Tropical Island Resort Sdn Bhd (TIRSB) to a local developer, Ideal Property Group.
80 acres out of 895 acres of land in Pulau Jerejak was granted and sold by the BN state government in 2001 to TIRSB at 73% below market price at a loss of RM34.6 million. PDC invested RM15.44 million for the 49% stake in TIRSB in 1997 and even gave a loan amounting to RM4.4 million in 2007 to TIRSB. Both the RM15..44 million investment and RM4.4 million loan, could not be recouped when TIRSB closed down with a loss of RM40 million by end 2015.
Finally UDA agreed to settle the loan of RM 4.4 million and pay RM156 million to buy over the 49% stake in TIRSB, resulting in a profit for RM140.6 million for PDC.
Utusan Malaysia did not even want to print that Ideal Property Group was not brought in by the Pakatan Penang state government but brought in by Federal government agency, UDA the majority owner of TIRSB with 51% control.
Teng claimed that I had rejected a joint-venture agreement in 2013 between PDC and Ideal Property Group, causing PDC to lose about RM220 million in profit guarantees. He asked why I kept silent over the rejection of the joint-venture agreement in 2013 but decided to sell PDC’s 49% stake in Pulau Jerejak to Ideal Property’s subsidiary 3 years later?
I had stated that Teng had lied and asked him to show proof that I had rejected a deal with TIRSB in 2013, resulting in a loss of profit guarantee of RM 220 million to PDC. However Teng has refused to show proof and replied that he would only unfold the details of the 2013 deal where I rejected a RM220 million profit guarantee for PDC – “one after another” or as The Star headline says “bit by bit”.
Teng should be reminded that this is not a game or some strip-tease show but a serious allegation that the Chief Minister rejected a deal that could have earned PDC a RM220 million profit guarantee. If he is serious, he should show proof now and not “play-play”. By refusing to do so, Teng shows how unprincipled and irresponsible he is and completely unfit to be a political leader.
Is the type of standard of BN Penang Chairman who lies and “baling batu sembunyi tangan” and cannot show proof when challenged? I will give him another 48 hours to do so.
LIM GUAN ENG
槟州首席部长林冠英于2016年11月21日在槟城发表的文告：
邓章耀可以肆无忌惮地撒谎，因为国阵已掌控了许多纸媒，而这些报纸即不专业也没道德，当邓章耀诬蔑槟州首长时，这些纸媒从没有要求邓为其指控出示证据。
国阵掌控了许多纸媒，而这些报纸即不专业也没道德，当邓章耀诬蔑我时，这些纸媒从没有要求邓为其指控出示证据，因此，让邓章耀可以肆无忌惮地到处撒谎。国阵旗下的国英语媒体如星报、新海峡时报、每日新闻、马来前锋报已毫无公信力可言，因为三番四次散播错误讯息及种种谎言，极尽可能煽动族群极端情绪来对抗槟州希望联盟政府。
无论如何，一些中文报诸如星洲、光明及中国报，也采双重标准，他们以高标准来要求州政府出示证据，却不敢对邓章耀提出一样标准。更甚的是，在邓章耀于2016年11月16日对槟州发展机构做出严重指控，批评有关机构将TIRSB的49%股权出售予一家本地发展商宏升集团时，星洲及光明拒绝刊登我的声明。
2001年，国阵将占地895英亩的木蔻山中，拨出80英亩的土地，以低于市价73%的价格售予TIRSB。这笔交易平白损失了3460万。而槟发展机构在1997年投资1544万令吉持有49%TIRSB的股权，并于2007年贷款440万令吉予TIRSB。这两笔款项在TIRSB于2015年关门大吉并亏损4000万令吉时，皆无法拿回。
最终，UDA同意买下49%的股权，以解决上述两笔款项，这也是槟州发展机构获取1亿4060万令吉的盈利。
对于这件事，马来前锋报完全不提宏升集团非槟州希盟政府带进来，而是由联邦政府的UDA所引进，UDA是TIRSB的大股东，它占了51%的股权。
邓章耀声称我在2013年拒绝了一项槟州发展机构与宏升集团的联营合约，导致槟州发展机构损失了约2亿2000万令吉的利润保证。他质问为什么我就2013年拒绝是项联营一事一直保持沉默，却在3年后将槟州发展机构的49%股权脱售给升集团？
我已经说过了，邓章耀在此事上说谎，并要求他示出证据以证明我在2013年曾经拒绝过TIRSB 的交易而导致槟州发展机构损失了2亿2000万令吉的利润保证。然而，邓章耀却拒绝示出证据，并回应说他将会相继公布我在2013年拒绝了可以为槟州发展机构带来2亿2000万利润保证交易的真相，正如今天《星报》所报导般，一点一点地层层剥开真相。
我谨此提醒邓章耀，这并不是一场游戏或脱衣舞秀，这是一项很严重的指控-指控首长拒绝了一项可以为槟州发展机构带来2亿2000万令吉保证利润的交易！如果他是认真的，他应该现在就示出证据而不是在玩玩。拒绝示出证据，他展现了他本身是如何的没有原则及不负责任，根本不适合成为政治领袖。
难道这就是槟州国陈主席的水准吗？一个撒谎、敢做不敢当，被挑战的时候无法示出证据的人？我将会给他多48个小时示出证据。
林冠英