GEORGE TOWN, April 5 — Most of the Penang Pakatan Harapan (PH) assemblymen and state executive councillors who declared their assets today bought more new unit trust and share units and new cars between 2013 and 2018.

Most of the state excos and some assemblymen increased their number of share units,  along with buying new cars that were priced from RM60,000 to over RM217,000.

Most of the new cars were bought with 80 per cent to 90 per cent loans.

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s assets of two shophouses in Melaka remained the same, with the controversial RM2.8 million house in Penang as the only new property purchase since 2013.

Lim also increased his investments in unit trust funds but did not purchase any new cars.

As with previous asset declarations, state exco Phee Boon Poh has the most assets with a total 11 properties, an increase from eight properties in 2013.

Three of the properties are inherited, including a house in New Zealand, eight were jointly held, one was transferred to his son in 2015 and another transferred to a family-owned business.

Three of the newly bought properties were houses in Sungai Puyu and Batu Kawan priced around RM800,000 each, bought with loans amounting to RM1.9 million.

Most of the assemblymen, such as state legislative assembly Speaker Datuk Law Choo Kiang, increased their investments in unit trusts and shares.

Law bought a new RM828,000 house in Bukit Mertajam with a RM700,000 loan and increased his share units from 408,000 units to 534,000 units.

There are also assemblymen who did not add much to their assets. There were no changes to Penanti assemblyman Norlela Ariffin’s assets and Sungai Dua assemblyman Datuk Maktar Shapee only bought a new RM118,000 car with a RM100,000 loan.

The sole PAS assemblyman Datuk Salleh Man also declared his assets this time, only buying a new RM60,000 car with a RM47,000 loan since 2013.

All Penang PH assemblymen and two PH MPs, Steven Sim Chee Keong and Sim Tze Tzin, declared their assets publicly today.

The list of their assets as at 2018, audited by independent auditor Grant Thornton, are available for download on the state government’s website.