Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng kicked off a dialogue session with a group of Penang-based NGOs yesterday, telling them not to be smitten by "lies and half-truths" from the Opposition (BN).

Lim said many issues raised by the NGOs, including those on the environment, were being "manipulated" by the BN and its partners in the mainstream media.

"We are not so concerned about the lies than the half-truths, as many things we have done are not published by the mainstream media," Lim said in the session with Penang Forum at Komtar.

"If you want to appear on the front pages of these mainstream papers, all you need to do is criticise Guan Eng," he said.

Penang Forum has been vocal about hillslope development and hill degradation, with the NGO holding a public talk on Dec 12, at which it called on Penangites to "Save Our Hills".

The well-attended forum prompted Lim to hold a dialogue session to hear their many grouses, which were similar to those also raised by BN.

However, former university lecturer Sharom Ahmat ( photo ), who led the group at the session yesterday, told Lim that they were "professionals and independent".

Sharom said the information on hillslope development - 56 approved by Lim's government between 2008 and 2015 - and 68 illegal hill-clearing cases during his tenure, came from state official replies during the last state legislative assembly meeting in November last year.

He said the photos and data presented at the Dec 12 forum came from members of the public, including residents’ associations, satellite images and from shots from drones.

"We must stress we are not influenced by your enemies," Sharom shot back.

"We have not been approached, nor did we approach them or were misled by misinformation and half-truths, as you put it.

"We are all professionals or ex-professionals and are non-partisan and independent.

"We operate on the basis of issues and concerns and are not interested in party politics," Sharom said.