Penang Govt: SMS regarding land for Khairy is wrong.

Thursday April 10, 2008

Penang Government: SMS is wrong

PENANG: The state government has denied an SMS circulating here that the previous state administration transferred state land in Rifle Range to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin.

State Local Government, Traffic Management and Environment Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said the ownership records showed that the land lease was still fully held by the Penang Municipal Council.

Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon’s former political secretary Mark Ooi last week called on the new government to clarify the land ownership and put a stop to the false SMS implicating the former chief minister.

The SMS, which had been circulating over the past few weeks, claimed that “the former government under Dr Koh had transferred a piece of land meant for public use to Khairy”.

“This (clarification) will help Gerakan clear its name,” Chow said after the weekly exco meeting.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the exco approved his proposal to set up an Inter-Religious Goodwill Council to foster better relations, understanding and mutual respect among people of various religions in Penang.

Deputy Chief Minister II Dr P. Ramasamy, who heads the education portfolio, said the state would give cash incentives of RM200 each to 91 students who obtained straight 1As in SPM and RM300 to 55 students who achieved the 4.0 cumulative grade point average (CGPA) in STPM last year.

State Public Works, Utilities and Transportation Committee chairman Lim Hock Seng said that to promote transparency and accountability, he had instructed Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd (PBSB) to give him a daily report on the traffic flow on the Penang Bridge and its action taken to clear up any congestion not caused by the normal peak hours.

He also directed the PBSB to station traffic controllers at both ends of the bridge to manage the bottlenecks there, and have tow vehicles on standby for speedier action, which were implemented immediately.

In Nibong Tebal, former deputy chief minister Datuk Seri Abdul Rashid Abdullah denied knowledge of any land improprieties in the previous government that resulted in millions of ringgit being siphoned off the state coffers.

“The state Land Committee does not approve any land deals at its whims and fancies. It submits all land-related proposals, with necessary recommendations, to the state exco for approval,” he said.