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Former municipal director denies corrupt practices
A former senior town planner with the Penang Municipal Council (MPPP), Khoo Boo Soon, today rejected allegations that he was asked to leave his post because of corrupt practices.
Allegations abound that Khoo, who was acting Town Planning Department director, was raising issues on the approval of 'special projects' by the MPPP because of a personal vendetta against his former employer.
He was "medically boarded out" in 2010, after a throat surgery and after suffering from back pain. He had been serving the MPPP since 1993.
Khoo (left) at a press conference today dismissed the allegations as "totally untrue" and challenged his detractors to lodge a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission if they had proof of his corrupt practices.
He said word circulating that he was a corrupt MPPP staff was another form of "irresponsible allegations to discredit" him, and that this was being carried out by certain parties.
"No one owns me. I am what I am. When I try to tell the truth, those who feel the heat will try to discredit me," he told reporters calmly.
'Move will bankrupt MPPP'
Khoo called the press conference to refute MPPP president Patahiyah Ismail, who recently expressed regret over his actions, which she described as irresponsible.
Patahiyah also accused Khoo of involvement in the approval of hill projects when he was with MPPP.
Patahiyah (left) had said then that cancelling the 'special projects' could bankrupt the MPPP as there were huge legal implications related to the decision.
She had also alleged that Khoo recommended a special project on a hill slope above 250 feet in Teluk Kumbar to the One-Stop-Committee (OSC).
Khoo admitted that he was indeed involved in the drafting of the "special project guidelines" to ensure the term was not misused, saying there were technical guidelines to enure compliance within each category.
There was never an intention to grant automatic renewals or approvals for such hill projects.
Khoo challenged Patahiyah to name the project and publicise the planning permission file and the paper presented to the OSC on the projects he had allegedly recommended.
"I regret that she has now made a U-turn to hit me from behind with this sort of accusation. I am an urban planner registered with the Malaysia Insitute of Planners and a member of the Board of Town Planners," he said.
"This is an insult to my profession and I will certainly pursue the matter," he added, saying he would raise the matter with the institute and the board, and not initiate legal action.
MPPP asked to come clean
Khoo urged Patahiyah to name all the "special projects" approved between June 2007 and those before and after March 2008 and to publicise the planning permission files. He also challenged her to show transparency before the people of Penang.
He also accused Patahiyah of making comments that protect the developers or buyers, rather than public interest, contrary to the role of a local authority.
"Originally, what I had set out to do is explain to the general public the term 'special project' which the state and MPPP always used in their press releases on hill slope development," Khoo said.
"Based on the response from the MPPP president, it looks like she has created more questions than answers. I have responded to her remarks and I hope she practises competency, accountability and transparency," he added.
Last Saturday, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the State Planning Committee – which he chairs – would review the 19 'special projects' the MPPP said were approved by the previous BN government.
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