We gave land premium discounts of 75%, says Azmin

The discounts resulted in losses of RM22 million, which Azmin says the Selangor government is ready to bear.

PETALING JAYA: Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali says the state government gave land premium discounts of 75% of the market price for the sites of two fire stations in Setia Alam and Bukit Rahman Putra.

Azmin, responding to allegations of high land premiums for the two sites, said this had resulted in losses amounting to millions.

He said the market price valuation for plots of land alienated to the Federal Land Commissioner, including the two sites, had been carried out by the Property Services and Valuation Department at RM19.85 million for Setia Alam and RM9.7 million for Bukit Rahman Putra.

“As a government that is concerned over the development of public facilities for the convenience and safety of the people, we have, through the Land and Mines Director’s circular on the streamlining of premium rates for state land alienated to the federal government, given a 75% discount of the market price for the two plots of land.

“The discounts given resulted in the state losing revenue of RM22.188 million. But for sake of the people of Selangor, we are prepared to bear those losses,” he said in a statement today.

Azmin said he regretted the allegations by Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Noh Omar that the Selangor government had imposed a high land premium for the two sites, calling the claims slanderous, baseless and unethical.

Noh had reportedly said land premiums of RM5 million for the Setia Alam fire station and RM2.4 million for the Bukit Rahman Putra fire station set by the Selangor government were too high since it only cost RM5 million to build them.

Noh also said Azmin should not apply the same calculations for commercial development on projects meant for the public’s benefit. -FMT