Guan Eng stops Nusmetro from developing Kg Buah Pala land

(Suara Keadilan) Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has ordered the Penang Municipal Council to revoke the development approval granted to Nusmetro (P) Sdn Bhd to develop Kampung Buah Pala land nto high-end condominiums.

According to Lim, he was invoking his authority as chief minister to overturn the decision made by the previous administration led by Gerakan president Koh Tsu Koon.

He said although the developer still had the right to demolish the homes of the villagers, it could not develop the land with his latest revocation order.

If the developer wanted to proceed with the project, it must take into account the plight and the wishes of the villagers, he stressed..

“If the developer wants to continue with the project, it must find a solution that will benefit all those involved, including the villagers,” he said.

Kampung Buah Pala, a quiet cattle-rearing village, hit the national headlines when 23 families refused to vacate their homes in defiance of a Federal Court eviction order.

Tsu Koon’s administration had controversially sold the land to Koperasi Pegawai Kerajaan Negeri Pulau Pinang Berhad at way-below-market-prices and without consulting the villagers, who have lived there for more than a hundred years.

The co-operative later resold the land to Nusmetro at a profit.