High Chaparral: State documents declassified - Star

Jul 9, 2009 By ANDREA FILMER

andrea@thestar.com.my

GEORGE TOWN: The state government has declassified confidential state executive council (exco) minutes of the previous Barisan Nasional administration pertaining to the alienation of Kampung Buah Pala land to a co-operative.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the state exco decided at its meeting Wednesday to declassify the documents after consulting and getting approval from the state legal adviser.

He said the records showed that the state government land was approved to Koperasi Pegawai Kerajaan Pulau Pinang twice on Aug 18, 2004 and June 8, 2005.

“The premium of RM6.42mil or RM20 per sq ft was subsequently reduced to RM3.21mil or RM10 per sq ft.

“So far, (former chief minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon) has not explained why he approved this project without consulting the villagers or why he sold it to the co-operative at such a low price,” he said in a statement here Thursday.

“If Barisan was in power now and not Pakatan Rakyat, the residents would have been evicted and the village would have been demolished since last year,” he claimed.

The impending demolition of Kampung Buah Pala, popularly known as Penang’s High Chaparral and regarded by some as a cultural icon, has become the biggest headache facing the Pakatan Rakyat administration.