KUALA LUMPUR, March 20 — The Penang media were given the opportunity today to explore their chief minister’s bungalow in George Town as the leader sought to prove his openness about the property.

According to press reports, Lim Guan Eng took the media on a guided tour of his home after the press conference earlier this morning at his Komtar office, during which he slammed Umno’s Datuk Shabudin Yahaya for snubbing his challenge to prove that he had corruptly purchased the bungalow on Jalan Pinhorn.

Malaysiakini’s report said Lim was asked during the press conference when he would take the press on a tour of his house, to which the chief minister reportedly replied, “Let’s go now.”

The news portal said the Bagan MP, who was accompanied by his wife Betty Chew, took the media to see his living room, dining hall and kitchen and that during the tour, he said it was his first time doing such a thing.

“Would the other CM or mentri besar do as I did? I am the only CM who is willing to do so,” Lim was quoted saying in Malaysiakini.

The Star Online said reporters were allowed to take videos of Lim’s house compound but only photographs were allowed to be snapped inside.

Tasek Gelugor MP Shabudin had on Thursday alleged in the Dewan Rakyat that Lim’s purchase of his Jalan Pinhorn home in George Town was the result of a “shady” deal.

Lim during the tour of his Penang home. — Picture via Facebook.com/LimGuanEng

The Umno lawmaker claimed to have proof linking the purchase last year to a 2012 sale of government land in Taman Manggis to private developers to build a private hospital and hotel.

He alleged that Lim bought the house for below market price from a seller who was linked to the company that bought the Taman Manggis land.

According to Shabudin, Lim bought the house last year for RM2.8 million when the property should have been valued between RM6 million and RM6.5 million.

Lim has since denied this, however, and held a press conference on Friday to say that the purchase had been on a willing-buyer-willing-seller basis.

“The seller is a private individual through sub-sale, and not a housing developer,” he said then.

Yesterday, Lim said the individual from whom he bought the house was not involved in the firm that purchased the Taman Manggis land, nor was the person a director or shareholder in the company.

The CM also said the state sold the land via open tender, and pointed out that he was not the chair of the state’s tender committee.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission said Friday that it will investigate the report against Lim without fear or favour, and revealed that it had previously probed him over his tenancy at the same house before.