The Penang BN is not about to take responsibility for the 37 hill slope projects that its leaders have been accused of approving between 1985 and March 2008.

That is, until its leaders have read the minutes of previous meetings on these projects.

State BN chief Teng Chang Yeow wants the minutes of the meetings on these projects approved by the previous state administration to be "declassified".

He specifically pointed to the minutes of the planning and building departments and the state planning committee (chaired by the chief minister) on the projects that the BN approved when it was the state government prior to March 2008.

"We want to look at the rationale (of approving the projects) because we have to refer to the people who were there to see if they can recall (the matter) or not," Teng told a press conference in Penang yesterday.

'Buildings approved can't be stopped'

Teng was referring to the statement by Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) president Pattahiyah Ismail who told reporters that these projects had obtained the necessary planning approvals from as early as 1985 to March 2008.

NONE Asked if building approvals could be revoked after planning approvals are issued, Teng ( left ) said "when plans come in, you cannot stop the building plans because they are for buildings".

What was more important, he said was the "planning permission" as building approvals were related only to the physical structure, for which planning permission had to be obtained should there be any changes.

According to Teng, a planner should know "what is good for the area and "should not allow politicians to plan".

Asked if this meant that the BN would not take responsibility for the approvals of projects during its rule, Teng said: "Declassify the files and let us see on what grounds we approved the projects. You cannot throw accusations at us like that."

Asked if there were any back-ups of the said files, Teng said the BN leaders believed in parting with things that did not belong to them.

"When we left the state government, we were chased out within four hours of the day to clear our office. How could we ferry all the files out?" he asked.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has been blamed for hill slope development projects on the island that are causing the loss of greenery and dying hills.

Last Saturday, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin also blamed Lim for the hill slope development projects on the island, saying that the federal government had clear guidelines on hill slope development.

BN has no memory of 'special project' status

Teng also said he had no memory of the special projects status issued to certain projects that were approved, even though they were built at levels above 250 feet.

NONE Pattahiyah ( right ) had said between April 2008 and May this year, 19 projects above 250ft have been approved under the "special project" status of the State Structural Plan of 2007.

She said these projects had been approved based on MPPP's Development Control and Policy Plan of Sept 13, 1996.

Teng then pleaded for fairness and a chance to review the files where special projects were mentioned.

"I cannot remember that. Please be fair to me. I really don't know. It was something new to me when the MPPP president said that special projects were approved even when they were above 250ft or 75 meters," he said.

"We never approved anything beyond 250ft or 75meters."