The Penang BN Youth, which campaigned strongly for public housing, was caught off-guard today by the company that was set up to develop the plot it is buying in Taman Manggis.

The two entities seem to hold different views about the type of housing to be built on the 1.1-acre land off Jalan Zainal Abidin.

Today, the company - Taman Manggis Phase II Development - announced that it was set up for the sole purpose of building affordable housing.

NONE "The developer is a private company... and is not interested in playing politics," company director Khoo Boo Soon ( left ) told a press conference.

Khoo, a retired local council town planning director, has been strongly criticising the state government over hillslope development on the island.

His statement is in major conflict with the position of the Penang BN Youth - the main campaigner for the plot - that has all along wanted it to be reserved for public housing.

State BN Youth chief Oh Tong Keong and his team have been intensely hitting out at Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng for not providing public housing for Penangites.

Lim later agreed to sell the Taman Manggis plot to the BN at double the initial price, but wanted the coalition to ensure that it would be used for public housing.

Affordable housing for site ‘just a proposal'

At a press conference today, Oh was confronted by journalists who asked him if he knew about Khoo's announcement for the land, which was initially earmarked for a dental centre.

Oh, who is state Gerakan Youth chief, denied it, saying "it is probably just a proposal".

NONE Pressed further on how could he let this happen when the land was supposed to be used for public housing, Oh ( right ) said "we will discuss it with them".

Oh was then asked why the announcement by Khoo did not appear as if the BN was sincere in ensuring the land would be used for public housing.

He was also reminded that the BN declared it wanted to purchase the land from the state government to ensure that Penangites have access to affordable housing.

"But this is not important. What is important is that the state government has refused to give us the sale and purchase agreement after we paid the one percent earnest money," Oh said.

He maintained that the developer for the Taman Manggis site was a private concern with nothing to do with BN, and that he would discuss Khoo's proposal as soon as possible.

Dec 4 deadline to pay RM22 million

The state BN - following contributions from the public and developers - has made the earnest payment of one percent for the 1.1-acre plot to the state government.

Lim had given the BN until Dec 4 - extended from Oct 3 - to pay-up for the land, or the plot would be sold to the Kuala Lumpur International Dental Centre (KLIDC) - which initially won the bid in an open tender.

He also wants the state BN to fulfil two conditions before the land is transferred to the developer, which includes changing the directors of the company to include BN leaders.

Oh later launched into repeated attacks against Lim for selling the land twice , firstly to KLIDC and then to BN, which must make good the remaining payment of RM22 million or risk losing the offer.

Oh also showed a letter from KLIDC to Lim, saying it agreed to dispose of the land and requested it be compensated for costs incurred in its bid to acquire the plot.