He claimed the DAP-led Penang government had been subjected to “malicious slander” while others seemed to get off easy.
He cited as an example the wide media coverage given to protests against the move to relocate 16 trees in Jalan Masjid Negeri here last year to make way for road-widening work.
He compared this to the logging issue in Kelantan, which he said allegedly contributed to widespread flooding in the state.
Quoting a Sinar Harian article on the issue, Lim said almost 200,000ha of forest had been classified by the Kelantan government as “ladang hutan” (forest plantation), enabling the concessionaires to log the trees.
Lim said the difference between 200,000ha and 16 trees was huge, but he said the logging issue was not given that much coverage in the news.
“The focus seems to be only on Penang. There is a motive to ruin Penang’s good image as a green state, with malicious slander.”
Lim was speaking to reporters after opening the Penang Island City Council’s new RM5.15 million landscape department office at the Youth Park here.
Lim said the Penang government had introduced many green initiatives and was committed to protecting its forest reserves from logging.
“To say Penang allows its forests to be cleared is a lie. Such activities are illegal and the state will take action against those responsible.”
In recent years, the Penang government has faced a backlash over illegal forest and hill-clearing incidents.
One case was Bukit Relau, now dubbed Bukit Botak (Bald Hill), after the landowner illegally cleared the hilltop in 2013.
The city council took the landowner to court and the development company was fined and ordered to conduct mitigation works.
Civil groups and environmentalists have since kept a close eye on the rehabilitation work. They criticised the building of roads up the hill and watched out for projects on the site, which has been zoned for residential development.
Yesterday, Penang Gerakan Youth acting chief Jason Loo, disappointed that it had not been rehabilitated to its original state, urged Penangites to each plant a tree on the hilltop.
Asked to comment on the matter today, Lim said: “The landowner can send in applications but they must comply with the technical specifications.
“Just because it is residential land, it doesn’t mean they can build because there are steep slopes there.”