Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has slammed The Star for inaccurately reporting on hillslope development in Penang, blaming destructive development on projects approved by the previous BN administration.

Yesterday, The Star carried a front page story entitled ‘The Dying Hills’, criticising the Penang Pakatan Rakyat state government for increasing the rate of destruction of hills.  

Lim refuted the allegations, claiming that Penang has the most stringent guidelines in the country for hillslope safety development.

“The hills in Penang are not dying because the present Penang state government has not approved a single project (for hills) above 250 feet,” said Lim.

Lim emphasised that Penang is the only state in Malaysia which bars any development on hills above 250 feet, while 31 such developmental projects were approved by the previous BN administration.

“Why then did The Star not highlight that other BN states allows development on hills above the height of 250 feet, while the present Pakatan state government had not approved a single development order for hills above the height of 250 feet?” he asked.

Lim also protested the fact that The Star chose to highlight the rising property prices in Penang in another front-page story today.

While he conceded that property prices in Penang are increasing, Lim complained that The Star did not acknowledge that prices have also risen in BN-controlled states such as Johor and the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur.

Various accusations regarding hill slope development being destructive have arisen in Penang, with the latest resulting in a protest organised by the Consumers Association of Penang on Monday.