Pakatan diverting Talam issue, claims Tee Yong

MCA young professionals bureau head Chua Tee Yong claimed yesterday that his expose on the Talam controversy has been proven valid as Pakatan Rakyat was now using the 24 plots of land acquired by BN as a diversionary tactic.

"From what they are doing now, it is clear that Talam is an issue, or else why try and create a diversion?" Chua told Malaysiakini when contacted.

However, he declined to comment on the merits of BN receiving the 24 plots of land in Selangor at a fire-sale price of RM1 per square foot, saying he did not have information on the procedures and transactions involved.

Nevertheless, if indeed there were irregularities in the move, Chua threw the ball back into Pakatan's court by arguing that the current Selangor government should have acted on, rather than complained about, the matter.

"They are the state authority, there are executive councillors and a menteri besar... everything is at their disposal.

"So if there is anything wrong, they can take action," retorted Chua, who is deputy minister of agriculture and agro-based industry.

'Go visit Talam lands instead'

Asked about Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua's invitation to join in the Pakatan team's visit all 24 of the BN lands, Chua shoot back: "They should also visit all the Talam land sites."

Chua also lambasted the DAP for its hypocrisy, saying the party was targeting BN but ignored land scandals in its own backyard.

Referring to the Auditor-General's Report 2011, Chua said the Kelantan government surrendered 290.07 hectares to Syarikat Liziz Standaco Sdn Bhd in exchange for the construction of a mosque, stadium and bridge worth RM195 million, but this was never fulfilled.

"The Kelantan government has given the land even though the company did not fulfil its obligations. Why is DAP silent on this?" he asked.

Selangor Pakatan, which last Tuesday began site visits to the 24 parcels of cheap land given to BN parties, criticised Chua for not taking this seriously, despite attacking the Selangor government for the land deals involved in the Talam debt recovery exercise.

Selangor BN, in defending the acquisition of the 24 plots, claimed that the land parcels were used to build community halls and kindergartens, among others, to benefit the rakyat.

To date, DAP has conducted three site visits and had found a 200-unit condominium, an MCA division headquarters and a hawker centre on the three plots of land.