Press Statement by Lim Guan Eng in Kuala Lumpur during DAP National Hari Raya Aidilfitri Open House on Sunday, 27^th September 2009: 

Koh Tsu Koon dare not debate with me on Kampung Buah Pala or other land scams in Penang on national television because he knows that I had not signed a single document relating in favour of the koperasi or developer as he had given all the approvals and sold out their rights 

BN, Gerakan and its “character assassins” have spread lies claiming that I have signed documents, finalised the deal and transferred the land to the Koperasi Pegawai-Pegawai Kanan Kerajaan Pulau Pinang(Koperasi). Until today I have not signed a single document in favour of the developer or the koperasi.

There is no reason for me to be helping out BN and UMNO cronies. The deal was initiated, completed and finalised by my predecessor, Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon without consulting the residents at a ridiculously low land premium of RM 10 per square feet (when the market rate then was at least RM 50 psf) with unanimous support from all MCA, Gerakan, UMNO and MIC state EXCO members.

Koh dares not debate with me on national television on Kampung Buah Pala or other land scams in Penang because he knows that I had not signed a single document in favour of the koperasi or developer, as he had given all the approvals and sold out all their rights. Sending proxies is contrary to the principle of leadership by example. After all when DAP leaders go to prison, we do not send proxies to prison on our behalf.

Even though the land was transferred by the present government on 27 March 2009, I was advised by the State Legal Advisor and also DAP National Chair and MP for Bukit Glugor Karpal Singh that the Pakatan Rakyat state government was powerless to legally stop this as this was a consequential administrative action following the approvals given by the previous BN administration. Once the decision of the BN state EXCO has been conveyed by approval letters for land alienation and development orders sent out to Koperasi and the developer, the state government is legally bound. Even the Federal Court had affirmed that there is nothing the new PR government can do as it is bound by the decisions approved by BN.

The order for eviction and demolition was issued to the developer and not initiated by the state government. Until now BN can not deny that they had issued numerous letters of eviction to the residents when they were in power. In contrast, the new PR state government had never issued a single letter of eviction to the residents of Kampung Buah Pala.

In other words, there was nothing for me left to sign as the previous BN administration led by Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon had done all that was necessary in selling out the rights of the Kampung Buah Pala residents. Koh considered the residents as illegal squatters and offered them a RM 75,000 flat.

Even though I had never made any promises to the residents during the 2008 general elections, the PR Penang state government strove hard to improve on the BN’s offer of a RM75,000 flat unit on the basis that they were not illegal squatters. The Pakatan Rakyat government had fought for and succeeded in compelling the developer to offer a double-storey house worth RM 600,000 with a 99-year land title in Kampung Buah Pala.

A majority of the 24 Kampung Buah Pala residents have now seen the real difference between BN and PR; between the culprits who had sold out their rights and offered them only a RM 75,000 flat against the real defenders of the people who fought against the developer and UMNO cronies to get a RM 600,000 landed property for them.

Two days ago, 12 of the 24 residents stepped forward with tears of gratitude to thank the PR state government for helping them. We accept their thanks. Our real reward is that they can finally distinguish who are their friends who want them to continue staying in Kampung Buah Pala as legal landowners from the culprits who wanted to chase them out as illegal squatters.

*Lim Guan Eng, DAP Secretary-General & Penang Chief Minister; Member of Parliament for Bagan