By Athi Shankar
GEORGE TOWN: Penang DAP chairman Chow Kon Yeow has brushed aside suggestion of malpractice in his purchase of a luxury home last year in Balik Pulau.
He dismissed suspicion raised by the press last week that he had bought the three-storey terrace house at RM590,000 from Kean Guan Development Sdn Bhd through corrupt means.
“Neither did I receive any discounts nor favours from the seller,” he said in a statement today.
Chow, a state executive councillor, had purchased the house on July 15, 2009
He explained that he had paid RM140,000 deposit out of his savings and gratuity received for his service as the Tanjung parliamentarian.
He said he had secured a loan from Public Bank Berhad for the remaining RM450,000, which he was obliged to repay RM2,759 monthly for next 19 years or until he reached 70.
“I wish to say that I am adequately able to pay for the downpayment from my savings and gratuity.
“I am also thankful to the bank for having the trust in my ability to service the loan for the next 19 years,” Chow said.
He said he was aware that as a politician and government executive, he would be under heavy scrutiny.
“Indeed I told my family that one day someone would want to question me on the purchase of the house.
“All I have to add is that after staying in a 700sq ft apartment for 13 years, I was able to provide a better home for my family from honest means,” said Chow, the Padang Kota assemblyman.
Chow, who is charge of the state housing, traffic management and local government, has just returned home from a official trip to Vladivostok, Russia.
Internal battle
Mobile text messages were circulated by unknown source, believed to be members of rival party camp, last week accusing three DAP elected representatives to purchase homes worth about RM600,000 each.
The SMSes raised suspicision that the three leaders, including Air Itam state assemblyman and exco for town and country planning Wong Hon Wai and Sungai Pinang state representative Koid Teng Guan have bought the houses by “illegitimate means”.
Wong has denied the allegations saying that he had purchased the house in a legitimate manner and has complied with all the necessary legal procedures when making payment for the house in July last year.
Koid on the other hand, denied he had ever bought the said house.
Indeed he said he was still searching for a home, and has not purchased nor completed the procedure of buying one yet.
It is believed that SMSes could have been disseminated from a rival camp challenging to capture the state leadership from Chow and company in the coming state party elections at yearend.
It’s learnt several elected representatives, who were parachutists in the last general election, are planning carry out a coup via the party elections to take control the state machinery from long serving Penangites.
The bitter battle till the end has clearly been drawn now.
No malpractice in buying house, says DAP rep
