He said some of the cases raised at a press conference by Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng involved land used to store timber, place containers or park lorries, or utilised as used-car sales lots, or even to carry out factory-related activities.

“They didn’t mention this in the earlier press conference. They didn’t even mention the size (of the land),” Chow told reporters here today.

He said that in one case in Juru, a lot that saw a jump in quit rent from RM4 to RM8,991 measured about 0.32ha and was used for transport and trading business, with lorries parked there and buildings put up on the site.

A separate lot linked to the same owner was charged a much lower rate after checks found only one container cabin on it.

Chow said that in another case, a lot in Simpang Ampat that saw its quit rent rise from RM745 to RM489,000 measured 15.07ha and had development underway, including semi-detached office units and showrooms.

“Yes, it is a big and frightening sum, but look at the details,” he said.

Chow said the state had received 2,278 appeals over the revised rates, of which 1,780 were being processed and 498 completed.

He said the departments concerned need to revisit the sites to verify the actual use of the land before deciding on the appeals.

He said the appeals should focus on whether the land had been wrongly classified for industrial or residential use, or misdesignated as urban instead of rural.

Penang land and mines office director Faizal Kamarudin said paying industrial or commercial quit rent rates also does not allow for the unapproved use of the land.

“Paying taxes based on industrial use does not (automatically) grant approval of the land for industrial use,” he said.

He said the Seberang Perai City Council had previously carried out exercises to regularise some illegal factory operations, but cases involving new structures or owners who have never declared the use of their land, could still face enforcement action.