Penang Gerakan Youth has identified a discrepancy in the number of properties in the George Town World Heritage Site that have been sold to foreigners, which were announced by Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and his state executive councillor Chow Kon Yeow.

"Please clarify whether answer of the the current CM or that of the future CM is correct," state Gerakan Youth assistant secretary Loh Kit Mun said at a press conference today.

Chow, who is DAP state chief, is Lim's choice to replace his post should he be convicted on two corruption charges. The case has been fixed for 34 days of trial in court next year.

In the May 2016 state legislative assembly sitting, Chow had claimed that 18 houses in the city's heritage zone were bought by foreigners, while there were 2,104 units in the heritage zone.

He was then responding to a written question from Mahmud Zakaria (BN-Sungai Acheh) who asked the state government to state how many properties were there in the heritage zone and how many had been sold to foreigners.

"However, during the last state legislative sitting in November, the CM's response contradicted Chow's," Loh pointed out.

"The CM's answer was that the total purchased was 60 units (excluding one purchased by a foreign company).

"According to Lim, the figure was for the period of 2008 up to May 2014," said Loh.

Lim was then responding to a similar written question from state opposition leader Jahara Hamid (BN-Teluk Ayer Tawar) in November.

Sold properties in heritage zone trippled?

Loh expressed concern over the discrepancy in figures announced by Lim and Chow.

He said the figures appeared to have trippled in just six months, from 18 in May as claimed by Chow, to 61, as admitted by Lim in November.

"Would the figures tripple to 180, or 540 and so on?" Loh asked.

He also expressed worry that the figures announced were from records up to May 2014 only.

"What happened to 2015 or 2016? Does it mean there were no transactions for properties in the heritage zone involving foreign buyers or companies during this time?" he asked.

Wither CAT?

Loh also asked what happened to the state's Competency, Accountability and Transparency (CAT) principles professed by the Penang government when DAP and Pakatan took over in 2008.

He also pointed out that Lim and Chow failed to include properties bought by a Singapore firm, which reportedly purchased about 200 units for a mixed-development project.

"Does the state government consider this a foreign company? Is there something to hide?" Loh asked.

"Is this the reason why figures for property transaction in the heritage zone for 2015 and 2016 were not given?" he further queried.

"If the Penang government truly speaks for CAT principles, speak out and clarify this to Penangites," he added.