Khir: Don't drag me into PKNS land scandal

By B Nantha Kumar

SHAH ALAM: Embattled former Selangor menteri besar Khir Toyo has denied involvement in the alleged selling of PKNS land to Gapurna Sdn Bhd.

The Sungai Panjang assemblyman said his name was being “dragged in for no reason but to further tarnish his image, political career and the Barisan Nasional”.

Khir was comemnting on a recent FMT report which revealed that the Selangor government had awarded a contract to a previously unknown RM2 company to build nine blocks of high-rise buildings in Section 52, Petaling Jaya, on the site currently occupied by PKNS.

In response to the report, a local blogspot, Right2Write, wrote that on Sept 9, 2005, the state under Khir had signed a privatisation agreement with Puncak Wangi Sdn Bhd to relocate PKNS office in Lot 12 from Section 52, Petaling Jaya, to Subang.

According to the writer, the land where PKNS building sits today is identified as Lot 12, which has a total land area of 9.85 acres.

Sometime in 2006 while Selangor was still under Khir's administration, PKNS sold part of Lot 12 measuring eight acres to Gapurna leaving behind a small area of 1.85 acres for PKNS to build its headquarters.

However, there is no document available in the public domain to suggest the sale.

"During the time BN ruled Selangor, Gapurna suggested developing the PKNS lot for commercial purposes (nine blocks of high-rise buildings).

"The deal was agreed to at the time. Then BN lost the general election and Pakatan Rakyat took over Selangor.”

"So, it's very clear that BN did not sell the land to anyone," Khir said.

No comments from State Govt

Khir also denied that Puncak Wangi was his crony company.

"I do not know who this Mohd Azrin Mohd Barrier and Krushiah Ali Mohamed are.

"If it was true that Puncak Wangi was my crony company, then how can the Pakatan government award such a big contract to me? Is it realistic?" he asked.

He also did not deny rumours that a prominent PKR leader had shown keen interest in the project.

Nevertheless, he added, he was prepared to be investigated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on the matter.

Meanwhile, the state government and PKNS have refused to comment on the issue.

Last week, when FMT tried to get an official statement from the menteri besar's office, the standard reply was that Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim was abroad.

The menteri besar's office said that Khalid's political secretary Faekah Husin would issue a statement on the matter.

But todate nothing has been forthcoming from the state government. - FMT