‘Surau land given away in BN crony deal’

100-year-old kampung surau must be moved or be torn down

From the latest issue of Selangor Times

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SHAH ALAM: The Sate Government says it should not take the blame over a controversial land takeover that will affect the status of Surau Al-Hidayah, Rawang.

Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim’s political secretary, Faekah Husin, told Selangor Times that the surau land plot was given to a private company eight years ago under the Barisan Nasional Government.

Despite that, she said the state would ensure that Kampung Melayu Pekan Rawang residents have a place of worship despite notification to demolish or relocate the existing surau for a development project which was approved in 2002.

According to her, the state did not intend to blame former Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Khir Toyo, who recently clarified that the land was sold to a private company in 2000 by his predecessor, and not in 2002 under his tenure.

“The most important thing is, it is not us who sold the land to the private company back then… and I am not attacking (Dr Khir) or anyone else,” she said.

The residents recently staged a demonstration and accused the current government of selling the plot of land to a private company for development, which will result in a demolition of their 100-year-old surau.

Faekah said the land was owned by a private company, SAP Holdings Sdn Bhd, which is running the development project with another private entity Mahumas Sdn Bhd.

She said SAP Holdings was a state subsidiary under Kumpulan Darul Ehsan Berhad (KDEB).

“But the Barisan Nasional Government had allowed KDEB to release their shares in SAP Holdings Berhad to private ownership,” she explained.

She blamed the BN for releasing the KDEB shares in SAP Holdings Berhad to private ownership. “And the current shareholders are mostly from MCA…so this matter is completely between Umno and MCA,” she said.

She said it was also in 2002 that the BN approved the development proposal by SAP and Mahumas on the Rawang land, including the lot that was gazetted for the surau.

Meanwhile, Surau Al-Hidayah Action Committee president Bing Selamat Amir said that the matter would be resolved amicably by the weekend. “I was told that the private company will resolve the matter by this weekend, so there is no need for us to stage a demonstration,” he told Selangor Times.

© 2010 Selangor Times