KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 14 — Penang’s chief minister wants an Umno lawmaker to prove the state had sold prime land on the island to private developers below market price.

Lim Guan Eng today ticked off Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan for claiming the state government had sold a 102.6-acre piece of prime real estate at Batu Uban, Bayan Mutiara at RM240 per square foot (psf) instead of the advertised market rate of RM420 psf.

“Abdul Rahman should show proof that the land was sold by negotiated tender,” the chief minister said and dared the Kota Belud MP to try and buy the land at the alleged price below the market rate.

The DAP secretary-general stressed that the sale of the land south of George Town had been conducted through an open tender and was advertised in the newspapers.

“If Umno or its cronies dare not take up the challenge and buy the land at RM420 per square feet then they will be exposed as liars,” he said in a statement.

Lim said other Umno leaders had also “lied” when they claimed the developer who won the open tender, Ivory Properties Group Berhad, was exempted from building low- to medium-cost homes on the island side of the state, but could do so on Batu Kawan, which is on the mainland.

He also denied Umno’s allegation that there were no allocations for schools or places of worship, including a surau, as required by the conditions set out by the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP).

He said it was compulsory for Ivory Properties to build low- to-medium-cost homes, in addition to the state’s contribution of RM500 million for a 12,000-unit housing scheme catering to the less well-heeled.

The CM also pointed out that the state’s decision in picking Singapore’s Housing Development Board (HDB) to help plan and design Penang’s public housing scheme did not mean foreign firms will be awarded the construction contracts.

He refused to apologise for his state government’s decision, and instead accused the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition’s lynchpin party, Umno, of double standards by welcoming Singapore firms to Johor’s Iskandar region but not Penang.

He said: “This double standard by Umno is clearly politically-motivated to provoke racial sentiments in Penang.”