The Penang government has once again come under fire for allegedly selling a plot of land along Free School Road for RM5.27 million to a private company.

State BN Youth chief Oh Tong Keong criticised Penang Municipal (MPPP) councillor Tan Hun Wooi for revealing the matter, saying "they do not even realise that it is wrong to sell government land".

NONE Oh, ( left ) who is state Gerakan Youth chief, said he may be "attacked" for raising the issue but insisted that the state should abstain from such transactions.

He added that the landowner is planning to resell the land for RM11 million but "it is his right to buy and sell land".

"However, the state government should not sell the land in the first place. The state only owns 12 percent of the total land space in Penang," he told a press conference today.

"The state often claims it is able to achieve a surplus at the end of the financial year, but the truth is, it makes a profit by selling land," he added.

'Wealthy second generation land owners'

Oh was referring to the 0.24ha plot of land disposed of by the MPPP since it had no plans to develop the site.

Tan, who is MPPP financial management sub-committee alternate chairman, said the new owner might develop the land for housing as it is designated as a residential zone.

The state government under Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has been earlier criticised for hill slope development and for a lack of policy on public housing .

Oh said the previous BN government had managed state land in a proper manner while the Pakatan Rakyat administration acted like "wealthy second generation" owners exploiting their inheritance.

"We urge them to stop selling our land and understand the people's Tanjung Bungah George Town view 02 demand. It is already wrong not to build public housing, now they want to sell our land," he added.

Oh said that in the past, former chief minister, the late Lim Chong Eu sweated to buy and obtain land for industry and housing purposes.

But the present government, he added, was working in "reverse", where after three years of governing the state, they begin to look for land to market.

This, he stressed, merely benefits the corporate sector, ignoring the people's "the sufferings".

"Why don't they use this piece of land to to build a library, or a care center for senior citizens, or a public hall? They can even lease it to a sports club so that they can get it back later," he said.

Come clean on land deals

Oh urged the state to reveal details of the land deal which he said involved the state , the Penang Development Corporation and the Penang Municipal Council.

When asked why were squatters allowed to occupy the land in the past without paying rental, Oh replied: "We were good enough to let people to stay there".

NONE Meanwhile, BN Batu Lanchang coordinator Lee Boon Ten ( left ) asked the MPPP to reveal details of land it had sold which includes a parcel next to the Heng Ee Secondary School and another along the Jelutong and Perak Road  market in Batu Lanchang.

 "People who live there are worried that they would have to move out from their homes.

"Tan had said the land near Free School was sold to purchase plots in Teluk Kumbar and Balik Pulau. But why do they need to sell prime land to buy those in rural areas?" he asked.