LAND SOLD AT 2 SEN PER SQ FT! What kind of special deal is MCA getting, asks DAP

A piece of government reserve land has been alienated for two sen per sq ft (psf) to a private company linked to MCA, alleged DAP Seremban parliamentarian Anthony Loke (photo).

The Negri Sembilan state government had approved a piece of 9.83ha of quarry reserve land and Malay reserve land in 2001 at a price of RM24,853, he said.

"This is equivalent to two sen psf for the 1.05 million square ft property," local Chinese daily China Press today quoted him as saying.

Describing the land 'as good as given for free', he said, the land, located around the Then Tze Temple at Centipede Hill, Temiang, is definitely worth more than two sen psf, considering the rapid growth there.

Citing a copy of a state assembly written reply last month, he said, the state government had comfirmed the land was given to Menang Tiara Sdn Bhd, a RM2 dormant company registered in July 1999.

He further claimed that at least three of the company's directors were linked to former MCA leaders as relatives or good friends.

Denied ownership

"The wife of a former MCA state assemblyperson sits on the company's board," he alleged when contacted by Malaysiakini.

Meanwhile 100 squatter families, who had stayed at the hillside for four decades, were denied land ownership by the state government as the reserve land wasn't for meant for permanent residents, he said.

However, he said, they had previously been granted temporary occupation licenses (TOL).

The then mentri besar Isa Abdul Samad (photo), as well as MCA state executive councillors Yeow Chai Thiam and Peter Lai, didn't object to the land alienation, he said.

Yeow claimed ignorance when the daily contacted him, saying he was not the elected representative for Temiang.

He could not remember the state executive council's (exco) decision which was made over a decade ago, he said.

However, Yeow explained the state exco relied on reports by government officials as well as the local state assemblyperson's opinion to arrive at a decision. - M'kini