PENANG GOVT THREATENED WITH LEGAL SUIT IF IT BLOCKS KAMPUNG BUAH PALA DEVT

Sunday July 19, 2009 MYT 2:37:00 PM

BUTTERWORTH: The state government has been threatened with a legal suit up to RM150mil if it blocked the proposed development by Nusmetro Ventures (P) Sdn Bhd at Kampung Buah Pala.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the company had sent a letter to the state government last week giving notice of its possible action.

“In the letter, the company said that since it had won its case in the Federal Court against the villagers, it will sue if it was not allowed to proceed with the project.

“It has given us notice that the amount of damages will be at least RM150mil,” he told newsmen after opening a free medical camp organised by his Bagan constituency service centre in Bagan Dalam here Sunday.

Lim said the state government could not defy an order issued by the Federal Court.

“We have to accept the verdict whether we agree with it or not. There is no court higher than the Federal Court,” he said.

Lim said the state government’s first priority was to help the villagers.

“We are not going to take the legal threat into consideration. We want to look for a solution to help the villagers,” he said.

Lim said he would hold more talks with the villagers at his office in Komtar on Wednesday at 8pm.

“This will be our final meeting with them as the Aug 2 eviction deadline draws near,” he said.

Lim said if the residents came together and co-operated with the state government, a solution could be reached.

He said they should not allow themselves to be influenced by quarters that do not want to see a fair deal for them.

In the first meeting with the villagers last Thursday, only 10 people turned to meet Lim although there are 23 families staying there.

The Kampung Buah Pala Residents Association had refused to meet Lim after he insisted that the association members should not be accompanied by their lawyer Darshan Singh Khaira.

At least two villagers had lodged police reports that they were threatened by some villagers not to meet with Lim.

By DERRICK VINESH (thestar)