“It is wrong to score political brownie points before the 14th general election by making such an insulting offer to religious communities.

“If the Penang government is sincere in offering land for churches and temples for Penangites, it should identify and offer a more suitable location in the spirit of promoting religious and spiritual diversity and development.”

He said this after the Penang government offered a piece of land next to a sewerage oxidation pond for the purpose of building places of worship.

Kohilan said the 22-acre land being earmarked for temples was probably being offered after the “condo-loving developer friends” of the DAP refused to develop it.

He dared Penang executive councillor Lim Hock Seng to move his home next to the pond to experience for himself what it was like living there.

“Lim had said flats near the oxidation ponds had not complained about any foul smell.

“Simply put, that is because the flats are located a fair distance away and not right next to the ponds.

“But the land allocated for churches and temples is located just next to the pond.”

Lim insisted however that the land was suitable for the building of temples and churches.

He told English daily The Star yesterday that a wall had been built around the oxidation pond.

Today, Lim told FMT the land meant for temples and churches was buffered by a 500-lot car park and set back 100 feet, cutting out all possibility of nasty odours emanating from the oxidation pond. He also claimed certain individuals were trying to discredit the efforts of the state government.

Space for houses of worship far from sewage plant, says Penang Exco