Penang Gerakan wants the state government to reveal how much public land has been sold since Pakatan Rakyat came to power in 2008.

The party’s state secretary Oh Tong Keong urged the state government to practice transparency by listing down the sale of land and money collected thus far.

Oh claimed that several parcels of state land including those in Taman Free School, Taman Manggis, Batu Kawan, Bayan Mutiara and those under the Penang Development Corporation have been sold.

He further claimed that nine houses along Magazine Road, five houses on Kimberly Street and one unit on Lorong Hutton, which are all assets of the Penang Municipal Council (the custodian of public property) are now in the hands of outsiders.

“Money collected from those sales is listed as profits in state accounts,” Oh said in a statement today.

“Penangites must know this damaging practice and show concern about our state properties,” Oh added.

Oh said the previous BN government had handed over assets and reserves to the current DAP-led government.

However, the current administration has been selling state lands and assets, but not building any Projek Perumahan Rakyat (PPR) houses or low-cost houses for the rakyat.

“We have learnt that most of the lands are sold to build luxury condominiums, not PPR, low-cost or low-medium-cost houses,” said Oh.

He categorised affordable housing into four - PPR types rented to the hardcore poor; rent-and-own low-cost housing; low-cost housing priced between RM25,000 and RM50,000 each and medium-low-cost housing of no more than RM72,500 each.

“Many poor families in Penang cannot afford to rent or buy their own house. The state government must build houses for them,” he quipped.