Penang Watch

Dear Penangnites & Malaysian

I am ordinary penangnite whom love diversity of Penang and presently
helping the residents of Kg Buah Pala to fight  the eviction by the
Developer. I am not a politician or allligned to any political parties and
i do not have any political aspiration either. I am not a Hindraf or MIC-BN
Collaborator working against PAKATAN Government. I came across a very
frigthening " Kg Buah Pala Horror Story" upon studying the documents of Kg
Buah Pala in the last three weeks upon receiving SOS from the Village.

Kg Buah Pala Villagers  presently remains  about 300 illiterate and
uneducated indians whom ancestors are the workers of Glugor Estate under
Helen Margaret Brown Estate planting nutmegs in Penang during the British
days. Presently they are cowherdes and selling cow milk to make a meagre
living.

Before Independence the Village Land was  acquired and held under Lot 698
North East District  under Crown Trust of Strait Settlement Act for
housing purpose for the estate workers .Most of the Land have been
taken by
State and developed except of very small piece of Village Land which housed
the estate wokers quaters now know as Kg Buah Pala which is the only final
remnants of Glugor Estate which planted nutmeg in Penang.

They have been struggling for last 50 years against previous penang
government to save the Village from being torn down and to claim their
rightful Malaysian Land Titles under the Torrens Systems. Their struggle is
common knowledge to vicinity  penangnites like at Bukit Gelugor residents.

The previous State Government under YB Koh Tsu Koon initially approved the
Village Land Alieanation in favour of Cooperative in the Year 2005 and
again in the 25th April 2007  for 50% premium reduction payable by the
Cooperative.

The Villagers took the State Government, Cooperative  and the Developer
under YB Koh Tsu Koon  to Court on the Year 2007  to save the village and
claim their rights on the Land and at that time YB Koh Tsu Koon have not
issued the Malaysian Land Title to the Cooperative because the cooperative
have not paid up the premium for the Land Alienation. Their rights on the
Land was protected because Malaysia Title was not given to the
Cooperative.

Prominient DAP & PAKATAN Leaders came to village as WHITE KNIGHTS during
the Election  Campaign 8/3/08 and promised to save the Village from BN
Land Scams if they win the Election and form the  Penang State
Government.
Every Penangnite  knew DAP Election Mantra  in Penang was " Land Scams ...
YB Koh Tsu Koon ...BN Government".
At that point of election time as at 08/03/08 the Malaysian Land Title for
the Village Land has not been  issued to the Cooperative because the
Cooperative have not fully paid the premium and have not settled the
Villagers as per YB Koh Tsu Koon conditions for the Land Alienation
approval to the Cooperative on the Year 2005.

Upon PAKATAN formed State government on 8/3/08, The Malaysia Land Title
was issued to Cooperative on 27/3/2008 after premium RM 2.24 was paid on
14/3/2008 to the present PAKATAN Government. The Malaysian Title was issued
to Cooperative within 19days PAKATAN became the State Government which
extinguished the Villagers rights on the Land under the Lot 698 of
CrownTrust Strait Settlements and murdered them in Court of Law !

The market value for the 6.5 Acre Village  Land is about RM 60 million.
The Cooperative only paid RM 3.2 Million to the Penang State Government
for the Land.The PAKATAN government have knowledge of it when they
accepted
the Balance Premium of RM 2.24 million on 14/3/2008 from the Cooperative
before issuance of title on the 27/3/2008 to the Cooperative.

Now YB Lim Guan Eng claims that previous BN Government did the Land Scam
and approved the Land Alienantion on  25th April 2007 below market
value and he  has no choice but to issue the Title to the Cooperative.
Is YB Lim
Guan Eng telling the Malaysian that inspite of  all the Legal Expertise he
has in his stable that he could not have save or attempted to save the
Village or the Land which valued over RM 60million ? That YB Lim Guan Eng
has no choice  but to issue the Land Title to the Cooperative within 19days
( 27/3/2008)upon he came the CM (03/08/08)? Does he says that PAKATAN Govt
have no remedy for fraudulent land alienation in Penang inspite of the all
the  lawyers including lawyers who can sue Sultans in their stable?
Now YB Lim Guan Eng claims that the previous State Government under YB Koh
Tsu Koon did the Land Scam  on the Village Land and He personaly  did not
make any promises to the Villagers!!!!

After much pressure from the Villagers,YB Lim Guan Eng have only released
PARTIAL exco minutes documents which points the finger at  the previous
government whom gave the approval  on 25th April 2007 and balance premium
was only paid on 14/3/2008 to PAKATAN Government and Malaysian Title was
issued to Cooperative on 27/3/2008. Why is that only Partial Documents are
being diclassified and released to public???

Under S.81(2) NLC 1965... in any Land Alienation approval , the Premium
must be paid within a specified time in the Notice of Payment ( Borang 5A)
otherwise the State Approval shall be deemed lapse and the Land Alienation
Application shall be withdrawn!!!! . The usual practice for time limit  for
premium  payment usualy is only 3 months from the issuance of notice of
premium payment. If the YB Koh Tsu Koon approval was on 25/4/07,what would
have been the time limit for the payment of premium??? Is the Time period
is  11 months... as the Cooperative paid the Premium only on the  14/3/08
to the Pakatan Government led by YB Lim Guan Eng?

Why did the PAKATAN GOVERNMENT accepted the RM2.24million from the
Cooperative on 14/3/2008 even though they knew the Land was worth more than
RM60million???? Why  didnt DAP State Government didnt make a fuss or claim
Land Scam when they were issuing the Malaysian Title to the Cooperative  or
attempt anything in Court of Law to prevent the loss of RM 60million worth
of Land? Is YB Lim Guan Eng telling that he has lost 60million worth of
Land in first 19 days of being the Penang CM???

Under s.78  National Land Code , Until the issuance of the Registered Land
Title in favour of intended applicant Proprietor, the Land shall remain
with the State until such time. Therefore the Kg Buah Pala  Land was in
PAKATAN Government hand from 8/3/08 until PAKATAN government  issued the
Malaysian Title on 27/3/2008 !!!!!! Couldnt have the PAKATAN Government
with all the prominient lawyers in their stable save or attempted to save
the Village within the provision of Law or to prevent the issuance of the
Registered Title to the Cooperative on 27/3/2008 especially where the Land
was in hand of PAKATAN Government????? And to prevent the loss of Land
valued RM 60million to the Developer!!!

It is very  interesting that Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce President
Tan Sri Tan Kok Ping is supporting YB Lim Guan Eng on handling of Kg Buah
Pala issue?? What would be the interest of Chamber of Commerce.....$$$$$$?

The Villagers had  placed their faiths and hopes in PAKATAN and rallied
for PAKATAN during 2008 Election hoping that their struggle over 30 years
to get their own Malaysian  Land Title shall be over when PAKATAN forms the
government which seen as WHITE KNIGHTS for the People . Their Adun is from
DAP and always told them not to worry and was assured them that their land
is safe and they should continue their Court struggle and fight for the
Land .

Little did the Villagers realize that the Malaysian Title has been  issued
by PAKATAN Government to the Cooperative on 27/3/2008 without a hint which
has murdered Villagers in Court of Law and brandish them as squatters and
tresspassers.

The  Villagers was  betrayed of the highest kind by the present State
Government  whom i believe sold out the Villagers in favour of the
Cooperative and Developer.  As We are all aware, No matter which ever
government  rule the State the Developers will try to play their cards to
take advantage of prime land in the State.

As one reporter told me... " Government may change... but lies does not
change"

The issuance of Malaysian Title on 27/3/2008 by the PAKATAN Government to
the Cooperative murdered the Villagers in Court of Law where the Court of
Appeal  ruled that the Villagers are tresspasser on the Cooperative Land
because Title has been issued  to Cooperative and summarily judged in
favour of the Cooperative without the benefit of full trial to the
Villagers!!! And therefore no locus standii or rights to pursue the matter
in court. The leave to appeal to Federal Court was not granted by Yang Arif
Augustine Paul.

It seems that Penang Govt under YB Lim Guan Eng made a calculated
judgement on Kg Buah Pala that the 300 odd viilagers are minority indians
and that any  resistance can be steamrolled and the issue can isolated from
majority chinese as indian issues by using racial cards as HINDRAF
collaborators  and as MIC-BN collaborators  where the majority of
Penangnites are chinesse whose sentiments are against BN Government and
shall not be bothered with happenings at Kg Buah Pala.

The   truth of the treacherous betrayal on the minority and marginalised
by Penang DAP Government whom i believe is in  the path toward
Capitalist Governance where all the poor and middle income irespective
of race shall
be marginalised and all other malay and chinese kampungs and natural
environment, hillside , heritage properties  , landscape and culture shall
be destroyed in the name of Development of  Penang.
More kampungs in Penang like Tanjong Tokong, Teluk Kumbar, Bukit Bendera ,
expering Leasehold houses will be in Developer's deck of cards for
destruction in the name of development  and conveniently pointing finger at
previous government land scam  unless we address the issue now with
affirmative action as Penangnites!!!

Most of Penang people live in Villages, Hillsides, expiring Leasehold
Houses and Rent Control Houses.... which shall be ideal target for greedy
Developers who want prime Lands in Penang where they can make most handsome
profit through very helpful politicians.
Penang People should arise as PENANGNITES  above the veil of deceits by
politicians using racial cards as to divide and rule penangnites to fulfill
their own greed for materialistic gain despite the destruction of our
multicultural society, landscape  and heritages.

Today may be Kampung Buah Pala ... Tommorow shall be Our homes!!!!

Let us come together and save  Our Pearl of Orient from Destruction in the
name of Development..... People People have put to stop of  of Lies in the
name of Development and  Racial Politics in Penang!! Lets us Remind THEM
again as Penangnites!!!

rgd lineclear