Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng today urged BN state leaders to check with their "buddies" in UDA Holdings and Putrajaya over the plan to redevelop Pulau Jerejak.

This is after state BN chief Teng Chang Yeow asked about state agency Penang Development Corporation's (PDC) stake in Tropical Island Resort (TIR), which is in charge of redeveloping Pulau Jerejak.

"Don't pretend not to know about it, this is a BN project and you (Teng) are part of the coalition," Lim told reporters after attending a Deepavali lunch do at the Penang Development Corporation (PDC).

"Why attack us? Why not attack UDA holdings?" asked the DAP secretary-general.

TIR is a 51:49 joint venture between UDA Holdings and PDC.

Teng had wanted to know if PDC was selling off its 49 percent stake, following TIR's announcement that it had entered into a deal with private developer Ideal Property.

Lim today said the state government did not discuss the deal with the Ideal Property but with federal government-linked UDA Holdings.

He said UDA Holdings chairman Johari Abdul Ghani approached him directly about the deal. He added that Ideal Property is "buddies" with UDA Holdings.

He told Teng, "If you are not happy with the project, ask the federal government".

"Don't tell me UDA Holdings is not part of your government.”

On Penang Forum demanding that the state government preserve the island's green lungs and do away with the project, Lim said the NGOs have a right to their views.

However, the Penang government intends to resolve the problem as the previous Pulau Jerejak project inked by the previous Gerakan-led government had been "abandoned", he said.

"We want to get the rightful share back to Penangites and proceed to gazette the forest reserve.

"We were stuck with the deal that was approved by Gerakan at the time. We want to save the situation," he added.

Lim claimed the federal government via UDA Holdings offered the state "a lot of money, more than we expected" for the 49 percent share in the project.

"This gave a chance to get out of an abandoned project; besides, we do not have majority control in the company, what's the point?" he asked.

"This is an abandoned project, do we want to resolve the problem or not?

"Who created the problem? The federal government. Who is resolving the problem? The Pakatan Harapan government.

"Just like Komtar. Who rehabilitated it? It was also an abandoned project.”