The Penang Barisan Nasional has been told to pay up the remaining amount of RM22 million for the Taman Manggis land, which the party insists on acquiring to build public housing.

The state government is giving the state BN 30 days from today, to make good their payment.

NONE Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's political secretary Ng Wei Aik said the state government was prepared to hand over the land to the coalition for RM450 per sq ft, which makes the total payment for the 1.1-acre plot of land to be RM22,407,300.

Ng ( centre, in picture ), who is also Komtar assemblyperson, reminded the BN that the plot of land must be used for public housing and must comply with the requirements of the state government, and nothing else.

"Even though the state BN Youth wing has handed over the "earnest money" totaling RM224, 073 or one percent of the total payment for the land, the full payment must be made," he told reporters at a press conference in Komtar yesterday.

"The balance RM22, 183,227 must be paid. As long as this amount is not made good, we cannot transfer the land to them," he added.

When asked if the state would hand over the sales and purchase agreement to the BN soon, Ng said the plot would be alienated to the coalition once the payment is made.

Ng was responding to the state Gerakan Youth wing who handed over the cash to Lim's assistant in Komtar on Wednesday.

As the state government refused to accept cash, the BN leaders banked in the money at a Maybank branch at Komtar and handed over the bank slip to an officer.

NONE State Gerakan Youth chief Oh Tong Keong ( right ) had said the wing had made history for no opposition party in the country had been involved in building public housing in the past.

The issue of public housing was thrust in the limelight when the BN revealed that the land in Taman Manggis was sold to a private company to build a medical centre, questioning Lim's government if there was a scandal involved in the transaction.

Lim's administration denied the allegations, saying that the plot was too small for public housing, and that it had allocated a piece of land along Jalan SP Chelliah (about 1km from Komtar) to build about 1,320 units of such units.

Unsatisfied with the clarification, state Gerakan Youth offered to acquire the land at twice the selling price, and Lim accepted the offer by sending a letter to the state BN operations centre on Sept 6.

When contacted, state BN chief Teng Chang Yeow said he was leaving the matter to the Youth wing to respond, saying they had been delegated to do so.

The Youth wing has scheduled a press conference today to respond to Ng.