The debate over who has power over the Penang National Park in Teluk Bahang where a nudist event allegedly took place in May continues to rage on between BN and Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

State BN chairperson Teng Chang Yeow argued that Lim had made a 180 degree turn as he now admitted that the national park is also under the state jurisdiction.

"He is now asking for full power," Teng told Malaysiakini , adding this meant that Lim knew the state has power over the national park.

"Penang state executive councillor Phee Boon Poh, who is member of the national park council, also confirmed in an interview with China Press that the state has a say over the park.

"It's now for the chief minister to reflect upon himself than to keep washing away responsibility," he added.

When a five-minute video clip over an event dubbed "Penang Nudist Sports Game 2014" grabbed national attention, Lim had said on Aug 6 that the location is under federal jurisdiction, via the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

He said the state government and local council have no power over the area and if they did, such an event would not have been approved.

Teng had then pointed out that the state indeed has power as three of its representatives sit in the advisory council while the state secretary Farizan Darus chairs the National Park Committee as stipulated in the National Park Act 1980.

Yesterday, Lim said that the state government is willing to assume full responsibility if permitted to take over the National Park Advisory Council.

However, he added that Teng's "perverse logic" that the three state government representatives can control the six federal government representatives in the council is false and unacceptable.

Teng said Lim's statement yesterday clearly points to his "ignorance" of his own authority in his administration.

"Penang bounds to lose out because of his ignorance," he added.

'We have no say'

Meanwhile, Phee said the state does indeed have an advisory role over the national park but has no say in its administration or implementation.

"The state secretary's role would always remain neutral, we have three reps from the state sitting in the council but the federal government has six. So how can he (Teng) claim that we a big say?" he asked.

"We can probably talk big, but have a big say, no!" he added.

Phee said Teng contradicted himself when saying the state has a "big say" over the National Park as his own proposal - when he was in government - to have state excos sit in the committee was "shot down" by the ministry.

"From day one, we said that the nudist camp is not a culture our society can accept.

"But such activities have happened in other states - Perak, Terengganu and Johor - but it never captured much interest as when it happened here," he said.

"Don't politicise the issue as we also did not politicise that one of the participants was a former Gerakan leader," he added.

It is learnt that the ministry has initiated an inquiry over the incident as one of its rangers had allegedly assisted the group during the event, which included activities like nude body painting, Gangnam style horse dance, crab walking and campfire.

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