The Penang state government has agreed to assists the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) to unearth wrongdoings in connection with a botched land deal that happened during the previous Barisan Nasional administration.

In a press statement released today, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said among the documents to be released to MACC would be minutes of meetings, including those between April 2008 and March 2009 conducted by the special investigation committee on land scam and state land committee.

Others documents include land leasing agreement between the state government and plaintiff, Tang Hak Ju, transitions of the deal and receipts of payments and revenue. penang land issue lim guan eng p ramasamy pc 050509 02

Lim (right) has issued a directive to the state secretary, Zainal Rahim Seman, and state legal advisor, to help MACC officials with the relevant documents.

The land scam that took place during the previous state government's time has been a contentious issue since Pakatan came to power in Penang in last year's general election. The scam had already cost the state some RM40 million in court-ordered compensation to Tang.

Late last month, former Penang Chief Minister Koh Tsu Koon has snubbed Lim's request to assist in its probe into the land scam.

A special investigation committee was formed in April last year after the new DAP-led Pakatan coalition government discovered land scams that had caused the state coffer to lose millions in revenue.

The committee was originally headed by former Deputy Chief Minister 1 (DCM 1) Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin, who relinquished all his elected and political positions last month.

The probe is now being spearheaded by DCM 2 Dr P Ramasamy.

Not challenging court's decision

In the land scam case, the state government had been ordered by the High Court in February to compensate Tang some RM29.4 million, plus interests, for damages caused by a scandalous botched deal.

The total sum of damages to compensate Tang could reach RM40 million.

The state government has been ordered to deposit half of the amount to the court pending its appeal against the sum awarded.

"We could not possibly challenge the court's decision to award Tang. For now we can only focus on reducing the quantum," said Lim.

Tang botched land deal happened in Seberang Perai Tengah district during Koh's government.

The special committee probe revealed that a privately-owned land of a Chinese temple was mistakenly designated as a state land and leased out to Tang to carry out quarry activities in early this decade.

However, Tang ended up suing the state government for the botched deal when the temple committee, the rightful owner of the land, issued him an eviction order.

Although Tang offered a RM1.855 million out-of-court settlement to Koh's government, the offer was not taken.