Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has taken state BN chairperson Teng Chang Yeow to task for his “deceit and lies” in saying that the state government is refusing to declassify agreements on land reclamation.

Lim had promised to do so last week during the public consultation of the Transport Master Plan.

Lim reiterated that the state was in the process of disclosing all agreements on reclamation inked during BN’s administration prior to 2008 and during his tenure, post 2008.

He said the only problem now are the confidentiality clauses in the BN concession agreements.

As such, the state legal adviser is reviewing the documents and has written to the concessionaires, Lim said.

“Give her time to do her job and for the concessionaires to come back to us. By January, we will be able to see if we can disclose the documents,” he added.

“It is clear that Teng is trying to blame me and the state government for these clauses, when we were not part of the agreement.

“Why didn’t Teng oppose these confidentiality clauses? He was then state executive councillor in the previous BN administration,” Lim said in a press conference today.

'Waive rights'

Teng had said that Lim should instruct property development company, E&O to waive its rights to confidentiality, just as former Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had done in 2007.

The Penang Gerakan chief said all the concessionaires had complied with Badawi's request in the interest of the public, who then had the opportunity to vet all the agreements.

Lim denied breaking his promise to do this, as alleged by Teng, in a press statement issued yesterday.

He said he could not do as Teng had asked, which was to direct the concessionaires to take out the confidentiality clause, as Badawi had done.

“How can I do it? I am not prime minister - as Badawi was - and these are all BN cronies. Will they listen to me?”

“Either he does not know the law or pretends not to know. I regret that he continues to lie about the state government and about me but he should know by now that lying won’t help you recapture Penang,” Lim added.

“Let’s have debates based on ideas and facts, as lies are not constructive.”

Lim said even if the BN inked agreements cannot be disclosed, those signed under the current state administration - which involves 60 acres of sea reclamation - will be revealed.

He said the present state government has nothing to hide as the deals were done according to open tender.

Lim added that he would discontinue engagement with Teng if he continued to based his arguments on lies and falsehoods, instead of speaking the truth.

“His suggestion that I do as Badawi did is ridiculous. The matter is simple but he makes it complicated, he is so deceitful,” Lim declared.