Bilateral relationship between Penang and Putrajaya, especially in the housing sector, seemed to have improved with Noh Omar as the urban wellbeing, housing and local government minister.

“The good news is the situation has normalised now,” Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said at the 2017 Penang International Property Conference today. 

He said there are no longer delays in the Advertising Permit and Developer Licence (APDL), where approvals are obtained from the federal government.

“There is no more one country, two systems,” Lim added.

In Dec 2014, then Real Estate and Housing Developers Association (Rehda) chairperson Jerry Chan complained that Putrajaya delayed the approvals of developers licences and advertising permits.

This prompted Lim to ask if the ministry - headed then by Abdul Rahman Dahlan (from 2013 to 2016) - was “bullying” Penang. 

Lim and Rahman had also then squabbled over the Taman Manggis land deal. 

Accompanying Lim at the conference was state executive councillor on housing Jagdeep Singh Deo, who during his speech, said the situation on APDLs have returned to status quo.

“We are back to the same position whereby, when there is compliance with all statutory conditions, (the APDLs) are approved in a timely fashion,” he added.

“This being the case, I foresee that there would be a turn-around in the property sector.

“As a result of these APDLs being issued, developers can sign on and conclude on all purchases."