ublished: Sunday August 10, 2014 MYT 12:00:00 AM
Updated: Sunday August 10, 2014 MYT 7:38:49 AM
Updated: Sunday August 10, 2014 MYT 7:38:49 AM
Don’t wash your hands off nudist camp issue, CM told
BY ROYCE TAN
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BUTTERWORTH: Penang Barisan Nasional chairman Teng Chang Yeow criticised Lim Guan Eng for trying to “wash his hands” off over the nudist camp uproar at the Penang National Park. The Chief Minister, he says, is diverting responsibility to the Federal Government instead.
“The Chief Minister claimed that the state and local authority has no power over the area but that’s not true. The National Parks Act gives the state government a big say over the running and control of the park,” he told reporters during Umno’s Hari Raya open house in Pantai Bersih here yesterday.
Section 5 of the National Parks Act states that the National Park Advisory Council includes the State Secretary and three representatives nominated by the state.
Section 7 states that the State Secretary would be the chairman of the National Park Committee.
Lim said that the Penang park came under the purview of the Federal Government and there was nothing he could do as it was run and managed by the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry.
Teng claimed that during Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon tenure, an agreement was reached with the Natural Resources and Environment Minister.
“It allowed the state government to appoint three members of the National Park Advisory out of the six members to be appointed by the minister,” he pointed out.
“When I was appointed the state executive councillor for Tourism Development and Environment in 2004, we suggested an amendment to the Act to allow a state executive councillor to head the National Park Committee but it was shot down by the ministry.”
The Penang National Park received a lot of attention in recent days after a video,Penang Nude Sports Games went viral.
The event was held at the park’s Teluk Kampi beach.
