Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng was queried why he entered a private land in Seberang Perai South without permission.

Mahmud Zakaria (BN-Sungai Acheh) asked Lim the purpose of entering the land on Tok Keramat in Nibong Tebal, and whether he obtained the permission of the landowner.

“Isn’t it wrong to enter the private land of someone without permission?” Mahmud asked, in a written question to Lim at the state legislative assembly today.

In reply, Lim said he went to the land to “expose” a land sale scandal by Penang Regional Development Authority (Perda), a federal housing development agency/

He accused Perda of selling the 8.6 acres of land in Nibong Tebal in 2015 for RM1.4 million although the value is RM16.6 million.

“It was sold without an open tender and Perda has sold the land with a loss of RM15.2 million,” Lim said.

He added that the question of him entering a private land without permission did not arise as the purpose of the visit was to “expose a land sale scandal which involves public interest”.

He asked how Perda could have sold the land cheaply at a loss of RM15.2 million.

“These losses do not only go against the aims of why Perda was created but its chairman – Shabudin Yahaya – has also betrayed his duty as the trustee of Perda to implement housing projects on the said land,” Lim said.

“On March 28, this year, the new buyer has applied to build 27 shoplots, (but) not a single public housing – whether low or low medium cost units – were built,” Lim added.

Lim also took a swipe at Mahmud for raising a query as to why he had entered a private land without the permission of the owner.

Lim said he could also ask the same question of Mahmud.

“What is your intention for asking this question? Only God knows!” Lim said.

He also said he did not raise a personal question about Shabudin Yahya, Umno Tasek Gelugor MP, as he did not wish to dabble in personal attacks.

This was despite Shabudin raising the issue of his purchase of a RM2.8 million bungalow on Jalan Pinhorn, purportedly below market value although the chief minister had insisted that the sale was based on a “willing-seller, willing-buyer basis”.

Public interest

Shabudin had brought up the matter on March 4 in Parliament, and asked if the purchase was linked to the sale of a state government land on Taman Manggis, Penang, to a private developer.

Following several reports lodged against him, the chief minister was quizzed by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, but denies any wrongdoing.

“I did not trespass into the Perda land but went to the periphery. I went there for a matter of public interest,” Lim told the state assembly.

“It is not because Shabudin raised a personal matter about my home to attack me politically,” he added.

“I am raising an issue of public interest and until now, the questions have not been answered.”

When Lim made the allegation in March, Shabudin had claimed that the land was sold at a loss to avoid losing a further RM10 million due to issues affecting the land.

He added that the “loss” was considered a “subsidy” for the 250 low-cost housing units to be built on the land if the project was approved.

The land was sold to a private developer with the condition that houses built on it would be sold at between RM42,000 and RM72,000 or a maximum of RM200,000, Shabudin had said.