Lim Guan Eng

GEORGE TOWN (Nov 16, 2009) : The Penang government may declassify minutes of its state executive council and land committee meetings on a controversial land conversion approval, following criticisms by the Barisan Nasional (BN) state opposition.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the state exco will be requested to open up confidential minutes on the decision to convert from leasehold to freehold, a 1.4ha plot in George Town‘s Unesco heritage zone.

The seafront land adjacent to the E&O Hotel in Farquhar Street here is earmarked for a construction project by PDC Heritage Hotel Sdn Bhd - a joint venture between the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) and YTL Hotels & Properties Sdn Bhd - for luxurious condominiums and an eatery.

The issue was first brought up by Umno’s Pulau Betong assemblyman Muhammad Farid Saad earlier this month when he questioned Lim over his written reply in the last State Assembly sitting in August, that there were no were no freehold conversions approved between April last year and June this year.

Former Deputy Chief Minister and Umno state assemblyman for Teluk Bahang, Datuk Dr Hilmi Yahaya, and Penang Gerakan chairman and former state executive councillor Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan have since said Lim could be referred to the assembly’s disciplinary committee if he were found to have misled the house.

Lim, who is also PDC chairman, said in a statement issued today that Farid had, in his assembly query to him, referred to conversions on state government lands.

“According to the Land and Mines Office, this meant the lands that were referred to were government lands held under the State Secretary Incorporated (SSI),” Lim said.

“At this time, there are no such applications received by SSI,” he added.

Lim also said the equity between PDC (49%) and YTL (51%) in PDC Heritage Hotel Sdn Bhd had been changed, but did not give details.   

Lim’s statement was given after a press conference at his office to welcome delegates from India who are attending the 2009 Amway Leadership Seminar to be held in Penang this month.

The seminar, organised by Amway India Enterprises Pvt Ltd, will see about 2,500 Anway business owners from India converge at the Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort and Spa, and the Golden Sands Resort, in Penang.

With over 500,000 distributors Anway India ranks among the top 10 of Anway’s markets. This is the company’s largest trip outside India.

Lim said the seminar augured well for increased Indian interest in tourism and economic investments in Penang.