Illegal factory away from buffer zone

GEORGE TOWN: The illegal carbon filter factory in Sungai Lembu, which caused the detention of exco member Phee Boon Poh and two others by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), is 1km away from residential areas, said Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng (pix).
"This is more than the 500m buffer zone for heavy industries," he told a press conference today.
Lim said state Environment, Welfare and Caring Society Committee chairman Phee is on medical leave (MC) after his release from remand on Monday.
He said doctors treating him have given him medical leave until Aug 21 and the leave was for him to recover from his remand by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
"He (Phee) will return to work after his leave and will explain the issue of the illegal factory in Sungai Lembu, which has been claimed to be allowed to operate for more than 10 years," he said.
The MACC and other federal enforcement agencies raided the illegal carbon filter factory on Aug 10 following complaints from residents.
Phee and factory director Edmund Gan Eu Leong, 37, and his 70-year-old father, Gan Buck Hee, who is the factory manager, were subsequently detained the day after the raid.
Last Saturday, the MACC obtained a five-day remand order against the trio but the Penang High Court set aside the order after their lawyers filed for their release.
On another matter, Lim said his government has not applied for a loan from the China Export and Import Bank (Exim) as the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) has not been approved yet by the federal government.
He said his administration will only enter into the process for building the PTMP financial architecture after the RM27 billion project was approved.
"We have not made the application to obtain the loan as we have not obtained approval for the PTMP," he said.
He was responding to Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani for reportedly saying the federal government did not receive the application from the Penang administration to obtain a loan from the bank.