Penang exco: Here's how BN made the hills weep

 

A leaflet produced by the BN blaming the current administration for Penang's depleting hills that is now being distributed to the people has been rubbished by the state government.

State executive councillor Chow Kon Yeow today slammed the leaflet as a publication of "lies" about hillslope development in the state.

Chow pointed out that all five projects in a Google Earth image reflected in the leaflet were approved by the previous BN government before March 2008.

Chow, who is state DAP chief, said BN "knows no shame" by claiming that the present government was at fault for the projects, which are mostly constructed 250 feet above sea level.

"It is beyond logic that they now claim they want to ‘Save the Hills' when these projects have apparently killed the hills and made them weep. They were all approved under their administration," Chow told reporters in Penang.

Chow was referring to a page in the leaflet titled "We want to save our hills", which contains two images sourced from Google Earth.

An earlier version of the leaflet, which Chow referred to at a press conference on July 4 had been amended as it carried pictures of hills in Tanjung Bungah between April 2010 and September 2010.

Chief minister is blamed

The latest version contains two similar images that are now tagged "Former Government Reign (BN)" and "Present Government Reign (PR)".

The first picture, tagged BN, shows a relatively green image of the hills hugging the Batu Ferringhi coastline.

The second picture, tagged PR, shows numerous development projects that have reduced the green areas.

While BN leaders have put the blame squarely on Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng for the current hillslope development projects, the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) has revealed documents to prove that the former government approved 37 such projects.

Lim has assured the people that the government he leads will not approve projects above 250 feet, insisting that the MPPP adhered to strict guidelines regarding the matter.

'Publication contains malicious lies'

Chow said the approvals given after March 2008 were for amendments to the earlier approvals granted.

In the two cases involved, Case Number 3 was for a reduction from 28 units of bungalows to 22 units.

Case Number 4 involved an increase in the number of condominium units from 262 to 266 and a reduction from 22 units of bungalows and semi-detached houses to 16 units, he added.

Chow urged state BN chief Teng Chang Yeow to take full responsibility for the publication of such "malicious lies".

State Gerakan chief Dr Teng Hock Nan declined to comment on the matter, merely saying the leaflets were produced by the BN publicity bureau headed by state MCA Wanita chief Tan Cheng Liang.

"Dr Teng is a wise man. Being former state executive councillor for local government, he surely knows that this BN leaflet lacks credibility," Chow said.