Former Penang Chief Minister Dr Koh Tsu Koon has snubbed the current state government’s request to assist in its probe into a land scam that happened during the previous Barisan Nasional administration.

lim guan eng koh tsu koon penang land scandal issue 220409 koh tsu koon Koh had faxed his reply yesterday to an earlier letter sent to him by Deputy Chief Minister 2 Dr P Ramasamy on April 28. In his reply, Koh said he will not turn up in an inquiry fixed next Monday, May 11.

Not only that, Koh, the current Gerakan president, had declined to cooperate in providing any form of assistance to the current government to help unearth the wrongdoings behind the scam that had already cost the state some RM40 million in court-ordered compensation to plaintiff Tang Hak Ju.

Senator Koh, now a Minister in the Prime Minister Department in charge of performance and unity portfolios, has also accused the current Pakatan Rakyat state government of politicising the whole issue.

He has even advised current Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to hire legal experts and concentrate on the state appeal to reduce the quantum of damage awarded to Tang over a botched land alienation deal seven years ago during Koh’s tenure (1990 – 2008).

Ramasamy to write again to Koh

penang land issue lim guan eng p ramasamy pc 050509 01 Ramasamy, who heads the state probe into land scam, revealed this at a press conference in Komtar, George Town today, adding that only former DCM Dr Hilmi Yahaya, current Teluk Bahang state assemblyperson, had assisted his investigation so far.

Koh’s snub, however, will not deter Ramasamy, who plans to write again to Koh, ex-DCM Abdul Rashid Abdullah and former executive councillor Dr Teng Hock Nan to assist his probe.

Abdul Rashid has already turned down an earlier state request for his assistance, while Dr Teng has been strangely quiet on the issue.

Ramasamy said the inquiry needed the assistance of Koh and the former excos to resolve the missing jigsaw puzzles not only in “Tang’s case” but several other botched land deals as well.

The land scam that took place during Koh’s time has been a contentious issue since Pakatan came to power in Penang in last year’s general election.

Ramasamy’s probe revealed startling disclosure that the state coffer was depleted of hundreds of millions of ringgit in the botched deals, raising doubts on the public accountability and integrity of Koh’s administration.

State turned down Tang’s demand

Lim equated Koh’s refusal to assist the state probe as “fearing to face the real truth.”

“Otherwise, what possible reasons would he have to refuse to heed our call to help the probe.

“It raises questions on the virtues, moral principles, dignity, accountability and integrity of Koh’s executive council,” said Lim, the DAP secretary-general.

In Tang’s case for instance, the private land owned by a Chinese temple in Mukim 20, Seberang Perai Tengah district was designated as a state-owned land and leased out to Tang to carry out quarry activities.

However, Tang, who paid a RM354,473 land premium, sued the state government for compensation when the real private land owner stopped his quarry operations.

In a letter dated July 1, 2004 by Tang addressed to Abdul Rashid, Dr Teng, another executive councillor and Berapit assemblyperson then Lau Chiek Tuan and state legal advisor Hinshawati Shariff, he had demanded a RM1.855 million compensation and a replacement land in Juru from the state government as an out-of-court settlement.

However, the state turned down Tang’s demand and decided to let the court decide.

Lim: Koh should clear up the mess

The decision turned out to be very damaging when on Feb 19, the Penang High Court ordered the state government to pay RM29,356,271 plus the interests, which would accumulate to some RM40 million, to Tang.

The state government was also ordered to place a deposit of RM14.678,135.50 pending its appeal.

The state was to have submitted the deposit by April 19, but Lim’s administration has instructed the state legal adviser to write to the High Court, asking for more time to pay the deposit.

This is to enable the state government to pass a Supplementary Supply Enactment Bill at the next assembly session in July, to secure federal funds.

A furious Lim has called on Koh to clear up the mess and use his influence in the cabinet to allocate funds to the Penang government, to pay damages.

“Koh should own up to his responsibility,” said Lim.

Ramasamy said he needed answers from the former administrators on reasons for their palpable flaw in overlooking the land status and their refusal to take up Tang’s original settlement offer.

Besides probing the land scam, the state government is also probing into a royalty scandal, which may have cost the state government tens of millions in royalty arrears in quarry operations in the state over the past 12 years.

State executive councillor Law Choo Kiang heads the probe.