Press Statement By Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng In Penang On 8.11.2012.
Penang BN’s refusal to pay in full the purchase price of the 1.1 acre piece of land in Taman Manggis of RM 22,407,300 even though they claim to already have the money, questions the honesty of BN Penang whether they are serious in buying the land to build low-cost housing for rental(Projek Perumahan Rakyat or PPR). Why retain RM 22,183,227 when it can be paid to the state government?
BN Penang must concede that even though they are no longer in power, they are dealing not just with any ordinary body but with a properly constituted state government. After all, the state government is not going to run away with the money.
BN Penang Chairman Teng Chang Yeow had wrote on 3.10.2012 that BN Penang have accepted the Penang state government offer to buy at RM 450 per square feet to build PPR. Teng had paid only 1% or RM 224,074 dated 3.10.2012 on behalf of BN Penang. On 4 October, I had replied to Teng that the remainder 99% or RM 22,183,227 must be paid within 30 days by BN Penang.
When the 30-day period for full payment lapsed without payment of the remainder 99% and no appeal letter was lodged by Teng, the state government has every right to terminate this land transaction to Penang BN. However since Penang BN claims to have the money, the Penang state government is willing to grant another 30-day extension period till 4 December 2012 for BN to make full payment of RM 22,183,227 subject to 2 conditions:-
· All the directors and shareholders of Taman Manggis Fasa 2 Development Sdn Bhd must include Teng and other Penang BN leaders as both the state government and Teng had agreed that BN Penang is buying the land. The present shareholders and directors are not BN Penang leaders; and
· The paid-up capital must not be RM2 as revealed in the search on the company on 25.10.2012 but must be the required amount for housing development companies as set by the Housing and Local Government Ministry(recently revised to 3% of Gross Development Value. How can a RM2 company carry out a housing project?
Public And Moral Accountability Of BN Penang To Explain Where RM RM 22,407,300 And Additional Construction Cost Is Coming From To Ensure That The Source Of Fund Is Clean.
BN Penang has a moral and public accountability to explain where RM RM 22,407,300 and additional construction cost is coming from to ensure that the source of fund is clean. How come BN can’t find the money when they were in power but can when they are in opposition?
The state government had considered the land too small for public housing when the Housing and Local Government Ministry sets the minimum land area required is 2 acres. Instead an 11 acre site in Jalan S.P. Chelliah was chosen to build public housing- something not done before. The Taman Manggis land was chosen for a private hospital and sold by open competitive tender at RM 232 per square foot, which is above the Federal government valuation price of RM212 per square foot.
Even though BN has claimed that the land was set aside by the BN state government in 2003, there was no public announcement in the newspapers then. Further nothing was done by the BN state government from 2003-7 to build PPR when BN was in power.
It is strange that BN can not find the money and was not interested to build PPR when they were in power but once they are in opposition BN Penang can find the money and are interested in doing so. The rakyat should ensure that BN Penang remain in opposition then so that BN Penang can do in opposition what they failed to do in government.
So long as no land title has been issued, the state government has the prerogative to sell the land to any other person by issuing the land title. This land sale is a special case not by open tender, but directly granted to BN Penang by alienation.
An open tender would require an agreement in accordance to standard conditions established. This is government land without a land title. To insist on a sale & purchase is to show not just ignorance of land rules but purposely done to cause this transaction to fail so that BN can pin the blame on the state government.
Density in the number of units approved for building is not a problem as the local authority gives special flexibility for public housing for the poor. The density in the Rifle Range low-cost flats can be used as a reference.
BN failed to fulfil their promises that the RM2 Taman Manggis Fasa 2 Development Sdn Bhd is owned by BN Penang by having BN leaders as directors and shareholders. This gives rise to suspicion that BN is deliberately setting unreasonable conditions to the whole RM 22 million transaction as BN has no intention of spending money to build PPR. As the state government is not interested in playing political games, it will no longer respond to wild allegations form BN Penang, but will await till 4 December 2012 for full payment or that this transaction will finally lapse.
LIM GUAN ENG
—-Mandarin Version–
槟州首席部长林冠英于2012年11月8日在槟州发表声明：
国阵没有兑现诺言，让2令吉的山竹园第二阶段发展有限公司由槟州国阵拥有，让国阵领袖成为股东及董事，让人怀疑国阵特意设定不合理的条件，然后破坏整项2200万令吉的交易。
槟州国阵虽然声称他们有钱，但是他们拒绝缴付山竹园1.1英亩地段的全数2240万7300令吉，这让人怀疑槟州国阵是否有诚意要买下上述地段来兴建廉价屋（人民组屋）出租。为什么他们在可以缴还2218万3227令吉给州政府时，还要收住 这笔钱？
槟州国阵必须承认，虽然他们已经没有执政，但是他们不是在与一家普通的组织交易，而是与正当合法组织的州政府交易，再说，州政府不会卷款而逃。
槟州国阵主席邓章耀在2012年10月3日致函，他说槟州国阵接受槟州政府的献议，以每平方尺450令吉购地以兴建人民组屋。邓章耀已经代表槟州国阵于2012年10月3日缴付1%或22万4074令吉，我也已经回复邓章耀说，槟州国阵必须在30天内缴付99%的余款或2218万3227令吉。
如今30天偿还期已过，州政府却没有收到邓章耀的99%余款，他也没有上诉，州政府有权终止与槟州国阵的这项土地交易。但是既然槟州国阵声称他们有钱，那么，州政府愿意宽限另外30天至2012年12月4日，让他们缴清剩余的2218万3227令吉，两个条件如下：
· 山竹园第二阶段发展有限公司的全体董事及股东必须包括邓章耀及其他槟州领袖，因为州政府及邓章耀同意这是槟州国阵所购买的土地。现有的公司股东及董事都不是槟州国阵的领袖。
· 公司的缴足资本不能是我们在2012年10月25日所查出的2令吉，而必须是房屋及地方政府部长规定房屋发展商所应有的缴足资本（最近重订为总发展价值的3%），一家2令吉公司如何发展房屋？
槟州国阵也需基于公共道德及公信力，解释他们的2240万7300令吉及建筑费从哪里来？以确保资金来源是正当的。
槟州国阵也需基于公共道德及公信度，解释他们的2240万7300令吉及建筑费从哪里来？以确保资金来源是正当的。为什么国阵掌权时没有钱，但是成为在野党后，反而有钱？
州政府已经考虑到上述地段用来兴建政府组屋实在太小了，因为兴建政府组屋的地段必须至少2英亩，因此，我们选择了SP齐亚来路的11英亩地段。山竹园地段原本计划用来兴建私人医院，并通过公开招标以每平方尺232令吉出售，成标价比联邦政府的估价每平方尺212令吉还高。
虽然国阵说有关土地是国阵州政府在2003年保留的，他们却没有在报章公布，在2003－2007年期间，他们执政期间，也没有采取任何行动来兴建人民组屋。
奇怪的是，国阵执政时，他们找不到钱、也没有兴趣兴建人民组屋，他们成为在野党后，却找到钱、也有兴趣兴建人民组屋。人民应该让槟州国阵继续做在野党，这样他们可以用在野党的地位，实践那些他们做政府时做不到的事。
只要我们没有发出地契，州政府有特权通过发出地契把土地出售给任何人。这宗土地出售案是特别例子，我们不是通过公开招标，而是通过直接转让方式出售给槟州国阵。
公开招标必须根据标准条件订立合约。这是没有地契的州政府地段。他们坚持要索取买卖合约不只显示他们对土地条例的无知，也是故意要使这项交易失败，接着国阵就可以怪罪州政府。
有关地段兴建房屋的密度不是问题，因为地方政府在兴建房屋给贫穷人士时具伸缩性。 我们可以使用打枪埔的廉价屋密度作为参考。
国阵没有兑现诺言，让2令吉的山竹园第二阶段发展有限公司由槟州国阵拥有，让国阵领袖成为股东及董事，让人怀疑国阵特意设定不合理的条件，然后破坏整项2200万令吉的交易，因为国阵根本没有意愿要花费兴建人民组屋。州政府实在没有兴建玩弄政治游戏，我们再也不会回应槟州国阵的荒谬指责，我们会等到2012年12月4日，他们必须在宽限期内缴清全部购地款项，否则这项交易将失效。
林冠英