Subang MP Wong Chen has pointed to figures disclosed by the Selangor government as confirmation that the forest reserve land in Puchong was sold at RM13.80 per sq ft, in line with data from the National Property Information Centre (Napic).
In an immediate response to Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari, Wong said the disclosure that the land was sold for RM101 million “essentially confirmed” the per-square-foot rate.
"The menteri besar in his press statement just confirmed that the lands were sold at RM13.80 per sq ft but the confirmation came in a long winded and strange way.
"By confirming the lands were sold for RM101 million, he essentially confirmed that the rate was indeed RM13.80 per sq ft. So the price data of RM13.80.per sq ft that we found in Napic is absolutely true.
"On whether the rate of RM13.80 per sq ft is cheap or not, I will leave that to the professional valuers and property experts to answer," he said.
On April 16, Wong urged the Selangor government to explain allegations that 68.4ha of the Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve land had been sold at a low price.
Wong said checks through Napic, under the Finance Ministry, showed that the land was acquired by Jakel Group at only RM13.80 per sq ft.
“I want the Selangor government to confirm this matter. Is it true that the land was sold at RM13.80 per sq ft?
“If it is true, we proposed in a press conference on Jan 20 that the state government buy back the land from the developer with interest, simply because RM13.80 per sq ft is extremely cheap," he said in a press conference.
False allegations
In a statement yesterday evening, Amirudin addressed what he described as three recurring allegations: that the land was a degazetted forest reserve, that development had been approved, and that it was sold below market value.
The menteri besar said two of these issues; concerning land status, had already been clarified months earlier, but continued to be repeated, causing public concern among residents near the Ayer Hitam forest area in Puchong.
"Nevertheless, there remain parties who continue to repeat false allegations with the intention of garnering cheap political support.
"This situation has caused concern among residents, who believe that the 168-acre (68ha) area located near the Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve in Kinrara will be developed for commercial or residential purposes," Amirudin said.
He explained that the 68ha site was not part of a permanent forest reserve, having been degazetted as far back as 1926 during the colonial period. He also said the current administration had not approved any development on the land.
Historically, the site had been earmarked in 1996 for low-cost housing, but planning permission was rejected in 2003 due to unsafe slope conditions.
He said that the Selangor government later cancelled the project in 2010 and successfully defended that decision in court, with rulings up to the Federal Court affirming that the land was unsuitable for development.
Court rulings affirm local authority’s decision
Court decisions at both the Court of Appeal and Federal Court levels were in favour of the Subang Jaya Municipal Council, among others affirming that the local authority’s decision not to permit development in the area was correct due to the slope conditions.
"The third issue concerns claims that the land was sold below market value, allegedly at RM13.80 per sq ft, equivalent to RM101 million. Following the state government’s decision to cancel the housing project, in 2012 the land was intended to be sold through an open tender process.
"Subsequently, a property consultant was appointed to assess the market value of the land in 2012. The final valuation was RM13.02 per sq ft, or RM95.3 million in total. Three companies participated in the open tender process, and a decision was made to sell the land at RM101 million, which is 5.90 percent above the valuation," Amirudin added.
He said that as court proceedings were ongoing, only a deposit payment was taken alongside the execution of a sale and purchase agreement in 2012, between the land purchaser and a state government subsidiary, while full payment was completed in stages until 2020 in accordance with the 2012 agreement.
"In summary, the state government, through the Subang Jaya City Council (MBSJ), maintains the position that the land is not safe for development for commercial or residential purposes due to its Class III and Class IV slope topography, as affirmed by the Federal Court.
"During my meeting with representatives of the residents’ associations, I conveyed the state government’s position on this issue and corrected the perception of the three baseless allegations being spread for political purposes," he added.
Amirudin said residents had also proposed that the hiking trail leading to the Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve be preserved for the benefit of the local community and hikers in Puchong, adding that the request would be brought to the state executive council for consideration, alongside discussions with the landowner, to ensure the area’s recreational use is safeguarded.
‘Name the critics’
In his statement posted on his Facebook page this morning, Wong also called on Amirudin to name the critics whom he labelled as attempting to garner chap political support.
"In all my press statements from December 2025 to April 2026, of which I would advise the menteri besar and his team to read them carefully, these statements made no allegations whatsoever that the lands are part of any forest reserve nor that the lands have been approved for development by the Selangor government.
"My press statements consistently asked for details regarding the chronology of how these lands were de-gazetted and then sold to Jakel.
"I also asked for details of the transactions to Jakel Group, including the price sold," Wong added. - Mkini
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