Land deal double standards

R. Nadeswaran

SEVEN years ago, this columnist decided to be creative by changing the catchphrase in Celcom's TV commercials "See football in everything?" to something more sinister, reflecting the action of some politicians. I remarked that some imitators had decided to modify the catchphrase to read: "See money in everything?"

This was the result of unearthing more than a dozen instances of vacant state land being given to supporters and cronies of certain politicians. These claims were substantiated with evidence of land earmarked for a school and a Tenaga sub-station being alienated to a developer in Petaling Jaya.

We also showed that the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council, aided and abetted by the Selangor government, made futile efforts to take over a playing field. We also provided documents to show that large tracts around the Bukit Cahaya Agricultural Park in Shah Alam had been shaven bare. This prompted the then prime minister to take a helicopter ride to see for himself the carnage.

With little or no regard for the environment, and with impunity, land had been grabbed in the name of development and given to highly-connected individuals and corporations at bargain prices. Four years later, we dropped a few more bombshells – land alienated for low-cost housing was alienated to the wife of the then Port Klang assemblyman Datuk Zakaria Mat Deros for a song to build the family's palatial house in Pandamaran.

We also exposed how groups and highly connected individuals acquired seven parcels of land surrendered by the developer of Bandar Utama to the state government. The MIC got what was meant to be a playing field for a Tamil school while Gerakan was alienated land meant for a telecommunications exchange where BU8 now stands. Even land earmarked for a surau was not spared.

Another year later, this newspaper broke the "Mother of all land scandals". Land compulsorily acquired for a cemetery was alienated to a developer for high-rise luxurious condominiums. In what was seen as an Ali-Baba deal, two beneficiaries were given a lump sum of several millions and a percentage of the gross proceeds from the sale of the condominium units.

Nothing happened. The silence of the powers that be was deafening. No one, except for a few NGOs questioned the deal. It was a reflection and an acknowledgement that such transactions were a norm and it was not worth addressing.

Let us fast-forward to the present. There is so much hullabaloo over the sale of a parcel of land in Bayan Mutiara in Penang. Politicians are creating such a ruckus claiming that the whole transaction had not been transparent.

There is nothing wrong when deals are questioned and every government transaction must come under scrutiny. The people should be happy that someone is standing up to what they perceive as a questionable sale. Leading the charge is Penang Barisan Nasional working committee chairman Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan. Other politicians and individuals seem to have jumped on the bandwagon. Despite assurances and production of documents to the contrary, the debate rages on.

It is good that the state government is called to account for its actions and it is even better that the whole deal is now in the public domain. But people like Teng must answer how he had then treated or would treat the "secret acquisition" of the prime land in Bandar Utama by his own party? Was that piece of land bought in a public auction? Did he condone his party's actions and despite this "cheap sale" being highlighted in the media since 2008?

Lest this writer is accused of being anti-government or anti-national by questioning decisions made by the then administration, let it be declared that for more than 10 years, I had been consistent in calling for transparency in the alienation of public land which ends up in the hands of developers. That is why there had always been support for the promulgation of the Freedom of Information Act.

As for Teng, he should realise that what is good for the goose is also good for the gander? We wait with bated breath for his answers.

R. Nadeswaran says all government dealings (unless they affect the security of the nation) must be transparent and open to public scrutiny. He is editor (special and investigative reporting) and can be reached at: citizen-nades@thesundaily.com