GEORGE TOWN, Nov 21 – The Penang State Legislative Assembly was told on Friday that the land approved for land reclamation for Phase II of the Seri Tanjong Pinang (STP II) development project was 61.10 hectares. Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng told the State Assembly sitting that the land was given free of charge to the state government by the concession holder for public purposes.
“I want to mention here that 151 acres (61.10 hectares) approved by the present state government will be given to the state government, not by the private sector and reclaimed free of charge, given free of charge to the state government,” he said when winding up the Supply Bill 2016 at the State Assembly sitting here.
Opposition leader Datuk Jahara Hamid (BN-Teluk Air Tawar) later stood up to question Lim’s action previously in announcing that the Pakatan Harapan government only approved 24.28 hectares of sea reclamation at the tabling of the 2016 State Budget on Nov 6 last year.
“Previously the state government announced 60 acres (24.28 hectares) but actually the approval was for 151 acres (61.10 hectares). That’s the land area to be reclaimed. It is immaterial for whatever purpose. But why the total area was not disclosed in the budget,” she said. In the meantime, Lim had also said that he did not include the area in the list of land to be reclaimed in the 2016 budget of the state government because the land was being utilised for public use.
