Guan Eng Queried In Court On Sale Of Peel Avenue Land

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Chief Minister Incorporated (CMI) is not a one-man show, but makes its decisions after consulting the state executive council (exco), Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng insisted in the High Court in Penang
The state investment arm is also not subjected to audit, as it has no accounts or board members, said Lim, who was the chief minister of Penang from 2008 to 2018
"The CM may have full powers to decide on matters related to land sales, but decisions are always made in consultation with the exco members," Lim said yesterday, during the hearing of his defamation suit against former state Gerakan acting Youth chief Jason Loo Jieh Sheng
Lim is suing Loo for defamation for his statements in three Chinese language dailies in 2017, in which Loo questioned the sale of a plot of land along Peel Avenue to Island Hospital Sdn Bhd in July 2016
The 6.4-acre plot was sold for RM156 million on a 99-year lease to the hospital for its expansion project, via a transaction conducted by CMI
Lim was represented by lawyer Mureli Navaratnam, while Kek Boon Wei appeared for Loo
On why the land was not sold via open tender, Lim said it was not a construction procurement like the RM6. 3 billion Penang undersea tunnel, but a “high-value investment”
During the trial, the issue of editorial control over China Press and Guang Ming Daily also cropped up, with Lim saying "yes" to the claim that the two dailies were controlled by BN
However, he disagreed that the same applied to Kwong Wah Yit Poh, a local Chinese daily
After six hours of questioning Lim, the trial was adjourned to today and tomorrow, with Loo (photo) to take the stand. The trial will then resume on April 29
Lim said he is not able to attend the case today as he has to tend to his ministerial duties in Putrajaya and is also due to attend the CGC 24th SME Awards 2018 in Damansara, Kuala Lumpur, in the afternoon
The DAP secretary-general filed the three defamation suits against Loo, China Press and Guang Ming Daily in 2018
The allegedly offending article against Lim in the China Press was headlined “Jason Loo: One man decides, Pakatan Harapan DAP-led state government run by the rule of one man” was published on May 29, 2017
The second suit involving Loo and Guang Ming Daily is over a report headlined “Jason Loo urges Lim Guan Eng to explain why Peel Avenue land was sold prior to gazetting”, also dated May 29, 2017
The third suit sees Loo named as the sole defendant over an opinion piece published by Kwong Wah Yit Poh on June 9, 2017
The lawsuits came after Loo goaded Lim about why he was not taking legal action against him, which purportedly meant his remarks about CMI and Peel Avenue land sale were "not defamatory"
Lim is seeking damages and a court order to stop the publication of the articles in the future. - Mkini

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