MCA-owned daily Star has
been lambasted for indulging in "hyperbolic excesses not supported by
facts" for Sunday’s coverage on the "crying hills" of Penang, spread out
on the front page, four inside pages and editorial page.
This
came after a front-page report on ‘dying hills’, which took the Penang
government to task for having approved hill slope projects.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the reports are a "desperate attempt to whitewash the past sins" of the BN-led state government in approving hill projects above 250 feet.
Lim had previously chided the paper for "rewriting history" and for ignoring the fact that the Pakatan Rakyat-led administration has not approved such projects.
He said Pakatan is willing to admit to mistakes made but will not "bear the sins" and pay the price of the policy decisions by the previous state government in approving such projects.
"Instead of beating up the present government for a crime it did not commit, why has Star consistently failed to hound the previous state government for giving 37 approvals before 2008?" Lim queried in a statement today.
The Penang BN coalition, now headed by Teng Chang Yeow (left), has refused to take the blame for the projects, leading to the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) declassiying minutes of approvals for public viewing.
Lim noted that Star did not apologise when its columnist Joceline Tan was "caught lying" writing that MPPP president Patahiyah Ismail had contradicted him.
"Patahiyah had clearly said that the 19 approvals given after 2008 were special projects approved by the previous BN state government," Lim said.
The daily was also ticked off for only highlighting hillslope projects in Penang and not in BN-controlled states.
Lim said unlike the federal government's guideline of defining a hill as excedding 500 feet, Penang has fixed this at 250 feet.
"Unfortunately, the previous BN government violated these guidelines by not only approving 37 projects before 2008 but also gave approval for those above 250 feet as special projects," said Lim.
Patahiyah (left) had explained that the MPPP’s 19 approvals for construction above 250 feet after 2008 fell under the special projects category and had to be processed according to normal geo-technical guidelines.
She added that the MPPP could not reject these projects on the basis that they are located above 250 feet.
Lim also said the state government cannot cancel the hillslope projects but that it has imposed “the most stringent guidelines in the country”, much to the unhappiness of the developers, some of whom have threatened legal action.
He expressed sympathy for residents affected by the projects, saying there is nothing the state can do unless it takes the drastic step of cancelling the projects.
"To do so would entail compensation of hundreds of millions or even billions of ringgit which would bankrupt the state," he warned.
Lim urged those in the previous BN government to bear the cost of compensation if these projects are cancelled.
"Would Star be willing to play a front-page story pressing demand for compensation from the BN federal government?" Or would (it) demand that the developers stop the hill projects?" he asked.
"Isn’t (it) sheer hypocrisy (for) Star to (have been) so chummy with developers of hillslope projects during the Star Property Fair in Penang and (now not daring to) criticise the developers (by) name for carrying (out) hillslope projects?”
Despite
the criticism, Lim said his administration would continue to engage
with NGOs who are protesting the projects and even with Star group editor-in-chief Wong Chun Wai (extreme right in photo) to explain the matter.
"That is why the state government instructed MPPP to declassify all the minutes on approvals for hillslope projects above 250 feet," said Lim.
"I am extending an open invitation to Wong Chun Wai to an open dialogue with me and my MPPP officials on this issue. I await his response."
This
came after a front-page report on ‘dying hills’, which took the Penang
government to task for having approved hill slope projects.Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the reports are a "desperate attempt to whitewash the past sins" of the BN-led state government in approving hill projects above 250 feet.
Lim had previously chided the paper for "rewriting history" and for ignoring the fact that the Pakatan Rakyat-led administration has not approved such projects.
He said Pakatan is willing to admit to mistakes made but will not "bear the sins" and pay the price of the policy decisions by the previous state government in approving such projects.
"Instead of beating up the present government for a crime it did not commit, why has Star consistently failed to hound the previous state government for giving 37 approvals before 2008?" Lim queried in a statement today.
The Penang BN coalition, now headed by Teng Chang Yeow (left), has refused to take the blame for the projects, leading to the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) declassiying minutes of approvals for public viewing.Lim noted that Star did not apologise when its columnist Joceline Tan was "caught lying" writing that MPPP president Patahiyah Ismail had contradicted him.
"Patahiyah had clearly said that the 19 approvals given after 2008 were special projects approved by the previous BN state government," Lim said.
The daily was also ticked off for only highlighting hillslope projects in Penang and not in BN-controlled states.
Lim said unlike the federal government's guideline of defining a hill as excedding 500 feet, Penang has fixed this at 250 feet."Unfortunately, the previous BN government violated these guidelines by not only approving 37 projects before 2008 but also gave approval for those above 250 feet as special projects," said Lim.
Patahiyah (left) had explained that the MPPP’s 19 approvals for construction above 250 feet after 2008 fell under the special projects category and had to be processed according to normal geo-technical guidelines.
She added that the MPPP could not reject these projects on the basis that they are located above 250 feet.
‘Bear cost of compensation’
Lim also said the state government cannot cancel the hillslope projects but that it has imposed “the most stringent guidelines in the country”, much to the unhappiness of the developers, some of whom have threatened legal action.
He expressed sympathy for residents affected by the projects, saying there is nothing the state can do unless it takes the drastic step of cancelling the projects.
"To do so would entail compensation of hundreds of millions or even billions of ringgit which would bankrupt the state," he warned.
Lim urged those in the previous BN government to bear the cost of compensation if these projects are cancelled.
"Would Star be willing to play a front-page story pressing demand for compensation from the BN federal government?" Or would (it) demand that the developers stop the hill projects?" he asked.
"Isn’t (it) sheer hypocrisy (for) Star to (have been) so chummy with developers of hillslope projects during the Star Property Fair in Penang and (now not daring to) criticise the developers (by) name for carrying (out) hillslope projects?”
Despite
the criticism, Lim said his administration would continue to engage
with NGOs who are protesting the projects and even with Star group editor-in-chief Wong Chun Wai (extreme right in photo) to explain the matter."That is why the state government instructed MPPP to declassify all the minutes on approvals for hillslope projects above 250 feet," said Lim.
"I am extending an open invitation to Wong Chun Wai to an open dialogue with me and my MPPP officials on this issue. I await his response."
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