Penang council misleading people - Chang Yeow

GEORGE TOWN: THE state Barisan Nasional yesterday hit out at the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) for giving misleading information on the details of 37 hill slope projects approved by the former Barisan Nasional state government.

 Its chief, Teng Chang Yeow, said MPPP's list was confusing as several projects were listed twice. The projects, he said, included a two-block condominium project in Bukit Jambul and a golf course in Sungai Ara.

 "The council is trying to mislead the people by listing the same project as separate entities when they should have been identified as a single project." Teng said the council was being irresponsible. "These are only two projects we are exposing now.

There are more to come," he said at the launch of the "Semboyan Disembunyikan" (sounding the siren) programme for the Bayan Baru parliamentary constituency. Teng also hit out at the council for limiting the viewing time of the documents to 90 minutes.

 "How can anyone go through all the documents from 2005 to 2012 within such a short timeframe?" On allegations that the state BN was circulating a flyer containing inaccurate information about hill slope development projects in Tanjung Bungah and Batu Ferringghi, Teng admitted that it was a mistake. "We had downloaded the photos from a non-governmental organisation's website for use in the flyer. "I admit that it was our mistake as we did not check it thoroughly.

 However, only the photos are wrong, the facts are accurate." Tanjung Bungah assemblyman Teh Yee Cheu had said on Friday that the pictures used in the flyer showed several hill slope projects that were approved when BN ruled the state.

 He also said BN had used previous photos of residents protesting against such developments in the flyer, giving the impression that the residents were unhappy with the present Pakatan Rakyat state government. Teng said the flyer merely highlighted hill slope developments and the people's concerns, and that it was not meant to deny that that the BN had approved such projects when it was in power. "The flyer is intended to highlight the current issues in Penang.

 "We may not withdraw the flyers. More importantly, the facts are accurate."