Pristine Agrofood Sdn Bhd director Chu Bak Teck has denied claims that it has teamed up with Selangor Umno deputy chief Noh Omar in a joint-venture prawn farming project.
Contacted last night, Chu said Noh was merely the owner of a portion of the 100-acre prawn farm in Tanjung Karang, on which his company is the tenant.
Chu told Malaysiakinithat he was shocked that his company was caught in a political feud between Sekinchan state assemblyperson Ng Suee Lim (left) and Noh, who is Tanjung Karang MP and agriculture and agro-based industries minister.
"I don't understand why (Ng) would say such things in the state assembly. I'm shocked. Why did he do that? This is madness," he said.
Contacted last night, Chu said Noh was merely the owner of a portion of the 100-acre prawn farm in Tanjung Karang, on which his company is the tenant.
Chu told Malaysiakinithat he was shocked that his company was caught in a political feud between Sekinchan state assemblyperson Ng Suee Lim (left) and Noh, who is Tanjung Karang MP and agriculture and agro-based industries minister."I don't understand why (Ng) would say such things in the state assembly. I'm shocked. Why did he do that? This is madness," he said.
Chu said his company's deal with Noh was a normal business transaction and that he was just a businessman with no political background.
'Noh not involved i business'
"I don't want to be dragged into their political feud," he said.
Chu said his company signed a 10-year lease with Noh last year, with rental set at RM840 an acre a year. Noh, he added, had procured the land long before he became an MP.
"We only pay him rental. Nothing else. He is the landlord. He is not involved in the business," he said.
He said the land had previously been used for prawn farming by another company and his took over last year.
"(Noh) is the landowner. Is he barred from letting another company take up the farm? Is he not allowed to do so?
"He owns only a small portion of the land. About 20 to 30 acres. It is not that he got the land after he became a minister," Chu said.
‘Nothing to do with ministry'
He stressed that the farm had no links with the federal government, but admitted that the company did secure a loan from Agro Bank under the Fund for Food (3F) scheme.
Agro Bank is run by the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry, headed by Noh.
Ng told the Selangor legislative assembly yesterday that Noh (left) had been engaged in a joint-venture with Pristine Agrofood since last year, which he claimed was i conflict with his ministerial position.
Documents supplied by Ng showed that Noh had acquired the land in 1995.
Attempts to contact Noh for his response last night proved futile.
"I don't want to be dragged into their political feud," he said.
Chu said his company signed a 10-year lease with Noh last year, with rental set at RM840 an acre a year. Noh, he added, had procured the land long before he became an MP."We only pay him rental. Nothing else. He is the landlord. He is not involved in the business," he said.
He said the land had previously been used for prawn farming by another company and his took over last year.
"(Noh) is the landowner. Is he barred from letting another company take up the farm? Is he not allowed to do so?
"He owns only a small portion of the land. About 20 to 30 acres. It is not that he got the land after he became a minister," Chu said.
‘Nothing to do with ministry'
He stressed that the farm had no links with the federal government, but admitted that the company did secure a loan from Agro Bank under the Fund for Food (3F) scheme.
Agro Bank is run by the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry, headed by Noh. Ng told the Selangor legislative assembly yesterday that Noh (left) had been engaged in a joint-venture with Pristine Agrofood since last year, which he claimed was i conflict with his ministerial position.
Documents supplied by Ng showed that Noh had acquired the land in 1995.
Attempts to contact Noh for his response last night proved futile.
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