Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has been told to "stop brainwashing" the public by his misleading remarks over the rezoning of a plot of land in Balik Pulau.

According to Lim's statement yesterday, the rezoning was rejected by the local authority and the land remained an agriculture land.

Lim made the remark when threatening to take legal action against The Star for an article on Penang planning to call for snap polls to gauge the people's support for Lim.

Responding to Lim, acting Penang Gerakan Youth chief Jason Loo said the local authority has no power to reject a rezoning application approved by the State Planning Committee (SPC).

The SPC is chaired by the chief minister himself and is a higher executive decision-maker, Loo said.

"What was rejected by the local authority was the layout plan or planning permission," Loo said in a statement today.

He said the matter was clarified by state executive councilor Chow Kon Yeow in press reports recently.

"I shall forward copies of the newspapers to Guan Eng.

"If Chow was wrong, I challenge Guan Eng to reprimand him publicly.

"If Chow is correct, Guan Eng can choose to remain silent," Loo (photo) said.

Lim is being charged with two counts of corruption, including approving the rezoning of the plot of land belonging to Magnificent Emblem Sdn Bhd.

Busineswoman Phang Li Koon, Lim's previous house owner, reportedly has 30 percent shares in the company.

Lim is also charged with obtaining gratification for himself and his wife by allegedly purchasing the bungalow from Phang for RM2.8 million, which is supposedly below market value.

The DAP secretary-general has denied any wrongdoing and described his one-night detention by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) as "a political persecution".

Phang was also arrested by the MACC and faces a charge of abetting Lim in enriching himself.

Meanwhile, Loo claimed that Lim allegedly chose to mislead the public over Phang's status.

"Phang is the seller of the bungalow, (but) what was conveniently omitted was that Phang is, at the same time, also a director and a shareholder of Magnificent Emblem," said Loo.

"This is the company which owns the said land that was rezoned from agriculture to housing by SPC which was chaired by Guan Eng," he added.

Loo pointed out that Phang, in her statutory declaration on March 22, claimed she has no dealings with the Penang state government.

He said that Lim chose to confirm now, rather than during his impending trial in court, that Phang indeed had dealings with the state government through the application of rezoning the land from agriculture to housing.

"It was Guan Eng who chose to cross the line of being sub judice.

"I shall forward to Guan Eng a copy of Phang's statutory declaration in case he doesn't have it," Loo said.

"As a lawyer, I would like to advise Guan Eng to stop putting himself into sub judice situation but instead present his facts to the court through his counsel," Loo added.

"Everyone is innocent until proven guilty. He need not fear."

"He should stop misleading and making more attempts to brainwash the public."