State Umno Youth chief Rafizal Abdul Rahim said there was no need for Lim to call Penang Regional Development Authority chairman Shabudin Yahaya to have a cup of coffee with him.

“It is a waste of time. If you think the land sale has flaws and if you have proof, report to the MACC. Let them investigate,” he said at a press conference here today.

On Thursday, Lim had questioned a Perda sale of a 3.4 hectare plot of land in Kampung Tok Keramat for RM1.42 million to SYT Prestige Sdn Bhd last year.

The land was acquired by the Federal Government at RM1.7 million in 1986 to build affordable homes. Lim had said that an Inland Revenue Board audit on the site, near MRSM Transkrian, had valued the land at RM16.6 million.

SYT Prestige Sdn Bhd is reported to have obtained planning approval from the local authority to build homes on the site.

Lim has invited Shabudin for a cup of coffee and a chat tomorrow, but Shabudin had rejected the invitation. He defended the sale, saying the land was plagued with soil erosion and other problems and a cost-benefit analysis had shown it was no longer worthwhile for Perda to carry on with the project as it would incur losses of up to RM10 million.

He said houses built by Perda would cost RM400,000 to RM500,000 whereas the new land owner was required to sell affordable homes at RM42,000 to RM200,000 subject to state approval.

The site contains 107 houses already built and abandoned for the past 30 years, which must be cleared to make way for the project.

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