Annuar accepts apology on FT land sale, as another case erupts

 

Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai (right) apologising to FT Minister Annuar Musa at a meeting in Parliament last week.

KUALA LUMPUR: Federal Territories Minister Annuar Musa has accepted a DAP leader’s apology over claims that he had sold 42 assets belonging to Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) in the past eight months.

He said Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai had apologised after realising that the information he received was false and that the apology was accepted.

“This is not a personal issue. I have accepted his apology,” Annuar said during the winding down speech for his ministry’s budget at the committee level.

On Dec 7, in a Twitter post, Annuar said he had received a surprise visit from Tan, who is also the DAP chairman, at his office in Parliament. Tan handed over a letter of apology and the retraction of a statement he had made against Annuar on Nov 18.

Tan told a press conference at Parliament on Nov 18 that 42 plots of land belonging to DBKL had been sold after Annuar became minister, demanding that the Ketereh MP explain the transactions.

Earlier, in the Dewan Rakyat, Teresa Kok (DAP-Seputeh) had raised concerns over the sale of a piece of land at the junction of Old Klang Road and Jalan Kuchai Lama.

She said the land was taken over by the Public Works Department (JKR) in 2002 to expand the junction and to build a pedestrian bridge but that did not happen.

“The space was then rented to hawkers,” she said, adding that the land was then eventually transferred to City Hall.

She told Dewan Rakyat that the land was then sold to a company called Kunchi Muhibbah, claiming the company was under Aset Kayamas.

She further claimed that an executive at Aset Kayamas was now under investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

“The land sale was halted by PH but continued under PN,” she said, asking if the sale was approved by the Cabinet.

She also wanted to know why the land was sold at half the price of its actual value of RM161 per square feet.

Annuar replied, saying there had been no land sale since he took over the portfolio in March, adding that from initial findings, the sale was done when Pakatan Harapan (PH) was in power.

Kok remained adamant that the sale and purchase agreement was signed in June 2020, prompting Annuar to say that he would look into the matter as he had not agreed to any land sale.

This exchange then saw Khalid Samad (PH-Shah Alam), who was the Federal Territories minister under PH, asking Annuar to repeat his accusations outside the Dewan Rakyat. - FMT