PKR HQ: ‘Real’ landlord stops auction

Beneficial owner had obtained court order to prevent the sale of the building, according to a source.

PETALING JAYA: In the latest twist to the PKR headquarters saga, the building located in Tropicana here will not go under the hammer tomorrow.

FMT learnt that on June 6, the building’s “real” landlord and beneficial owner Butiran Nyata Sdn Bhd obtained an ex-parte injunction against Ainb Tech Malaysia Sdn Bhd and Affin Bank from carrying out the auction until the inter-parte hearing is disposed of on June 27.

Previously, party leaders named Ainb-Tech as the building’s landlord, who they said failed to service the bank loan.

“PKR leaders, including treasurer William Leong, secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail and vice-president Tian Chua, got their facts wrong,” said a source.

“The lease agreement is between Butiran Nyata and PKR. The bank is taking action against Ainb-Tech and not Butiran Nyata,” he added.

Ainb Tech was the original owner of the building and sold it to Butiran Nyata in 2008.

The latest information confirmed an earlier FMT report where a party insider claimed that PKR leaders named a different landlord from the one on the lease agreement.

“They don’t seem to have a clue about the lease details of the premises they are occupying. I don’t think they know who they are renting the building from and even how much money they have to pay for rental,” he had said.

The party’s five-storey headquarters in Merchant Square was scheduled to be auctioned off at the auctioneer’s office in Brickfields tomorrow afternoon.

PKR entered into a five-year lease with the landlord beginning July 2008 for RM20,000 per month. However, the party only paid rental until November 2008 resulting in arrears of RM600,000.

Party leaders laid the blame squarely on the landlord and insisted that PKR never defaulted on the rental.

However, the source questioned whether the party was honest in its claim about being prompt with regard to paying rental.

Earlier today, Leong confirmed that the auction will take place tomorrow with bids expected to start at RM460,000 to RM1 million per unit, depending on the floor.

PKR is reportedly considering purchasing the building but that decision will depend on the price. As of now, no other party is known to have expressed interest in the building.