‘VIP house once owned by Daim’

House on land earmarked for underground tunnelling work for MRT project was rented out by former finance minister to the government to house my father, says Nurul Izzah.

KUALA LUMPUR: Former finance minister Daim Zainuddin once owned the house sitting on the piece of land earmarked for underground tunnelling works for the My Rapid Transit (MRT) project.

The house is in Jalan Damansara and Lembah Pantai (PKR) MP Nurul Izzah Anwar said the government once rented it from Daim as residence for the deputy prime minister, her father.

“Daim rented it out to the government to house my father and his family, before my father was kicked out unceremoniously on Sept 2, 1998,” she told reporters in Parliament lobby.

Nurul was flanked by PJ Utara (DAP) MP Tony Pua. Both rubbished the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD)’s explanation that rerouting of the MRT project was done to save cost.

Last week, Pua claimed that an underground MRT tunnel slated for an underground dig beneath the house in Jalan Damansara was rerouted because of the owner’s VIP status.

In a response, SPAD said that the realignment was necessary, as it would reduce the proposed land acquisition by over 1,000 square metres.

Pua slammed SPAD, and asked how much money had been saved by this particular move.

“At prime residential prices, the land could be worth just above RM5,000 per square metre, a saving of only RM5 million.”

“SPAD must disclose the total cost incurred for the realignment, especially since tunnelling works have already commenced on the initial alignment by the contractors,” he said.

‘SPAD trying to wriggle out of the issue’

With a copy of the original alignment plan, the DAP MP claimed that the tunnel would have cut through the house’s swimming pool and “ancillary building”.

“Is the SPAD CEO (Mohd Nur Ismal Kamal) trying to wriggle out of the issue by claiming that the swimming pool is not strictly the bungalow?”

Pua also asked why SPAD had closely consulted with the VIP houseowner, when it had failed to do so with the MRT-affected Jalan Sultan and Bukit Bintang lot owners.

In mid-August, an uproar erupted after the government announced its intention to acquire several lots in both Chinatown and Bukit Bintang to make way for two MRT stations.

Many of the lot owners, who were informed of the plan at the very last minute, voiced their objection but the government was reluctant to any alignment change.

Some officials have asked that the lot owners sacrifice their buildings to make way for the Sungai Buloh-Kajang line, citing the need for public transport.