A former councllor wants Penang Island City Council (MBPP) mayor Patahiyah Ismail to be held accountable for the "discreet" demolition of the colonial buildings within the Runnymede property.

Ng Chek Siang - who is also PKR Tanjong division chief - said there are obvious discrepancies from the reports gathered on the demolition exercise which was carried out by the developer on Tuesday, the second day of the Chinese New Year.

"On the one hand, the council website states that the planning permission had been cancelled as of Nov 24, 2015; yet concurrently the demolition was carried out using permits approved 17 years ago, and in spite of plans for conservation and restoration.

"Heritage and history aside, the Runnymede being home to the late Stamford Raffles, is a piece of property which was handed over to the Malaysian government for a token sum of RM1 and renamed Wisma Persekutuan.

"It should have been the pride of Penang and not left to rot or transacted to private developers for a profit," Ng said in a statement today.

Yesterday, state executive councillor Chow Kon Yeow said the developer had been granted a planning permit in 1999 by the previous BN state government to carry out development on the site.

The developer, according to Chow, had complied with the conditions in the planning permit, including preserving the iconic Runnymede Hotel, which is situated on the sea front along Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah (formerly known as Northam Road).

But pro-heritage activists are upset that the present state government under the DAP has been unable to prevent demolition of several ancillary blocks to the main Runnymede Hotel from taking place on a public holiday.

Ng said Warisan Pinang, the developer for the proposed hotel, commercial and office tower and apartment block, should never had the privilege to lay hands on this government property.

He added that it is a given that this property belongs to the people of Penang and not in the hands of private developers.

"Who sold Runnymede to Warisan Pinang? Of course, only the BN government can answer this.

"However, I also hope that MBPP and especially our mayor could give us a good explanation on how and why the demolition took place.

"What is done is done and may not be undone, but there must be due justification for any action undertaken and it is the responsibility of MBPP to clarify the whole matter, especially on the demolition," Ng stressed.