00:00Penang Chief Minister Chao Konyao defended the data and advice from state officers on
00:05the controversial quit-rent issue, saying he trusts their work.
00:09He was responding to criticism from Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng, who questioned the reliability
00:14of information from the Land and Mines Office and urged Chao to look into the matter personally.
00:19Speaking in Komtar, Chao dismissed Lim's criticism as totally wrong and said any mistakes would
00:25be rectified, noting that over 2,000 appeals had been received, with more than 500 already
00:30decided.
00:31Chao also rejected Lim's argument that the state could not implement measures not listed
00:36in Pakatan Harapan's 2023 election manifesto for Penang, saying governments can act based
00:41on circumstances.
00:43Lim had earlier claimed the new quit-rent calculation system caused rate increases of hundreds to
00:49thousands fold and questioned how such hikes could be justified without being in the manifesto.
00:54Chao further rejected claims that he was not on the ground, saying he regularly visited
00:59across Penang, received few direct complaints during Ramadan visits, and would continue reviewing
01:04public appeals.
01:05Dhanesh Rajar Reza, FMT
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