Lim Guan Eng has been urged to go on leave as chief minister until the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) completes its investigations on his purchase of a RM2.8 million bungalow in Jalan Pinhorn, here.

Penang PAS Youth chief, Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden said this would ensure transparent and smooth investigations by the authorities.

He said it also supported the stand of PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang that Lim was not guilty until he was convicted by the court.

"The president took a magnanimous stand to defend a person who has not been found guilty even though Lim had opposed PAS," he said in a statement today.

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The issue of the bungalow purchase by the Penang chief minister became a controversy when Tasek Gelugor MP Datuk Shabudin Yahaya raised the issue in the Dewan Rakyat last Thursday.

Shabudin, who is also Penang Regional Development Authority (Perda) chairman, wanted the Valuation and Property Services Department to evaluate the RM2.8 house bought by Lim, who is also the MP for Bagan, when its market value at the time was more than RM3 million.

Shabudin also wanted the MACC to investigate the sale of several plots of land in Penang which were said to be allocated for the construction of low-cost houses under the People's Housing Project (PPR).

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