‘Below market rate’ land is meant to serve the public

Regarding the plot of land in SS25, Petaling Jaya, which DAP elected reps are now turning into an issue, we wish to reiterate that MCA Selangor had legally purchased it in 2008, and the land was approved by the local authority for MCA to set up a public learning and service centre for the community. It is solely meant for MCA to serve the public and not meant to build commercial centres.

The premium for the land was set at a nominal value because it was not meant for the purpose of business profits, but as an MCA public service hall and learning centre.

It is nonsensical to place a value of RM400 per square foot on the land when it was never meant for commercial business profit-oriented purposes. It is irrelevant to talk about the land for commercial purposes when it is clearly meant for public purposes.

Even the adjacent plot of land was earmarked as an Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya (MBPJ) hall for public use. As such, the land acquired by MCA was meant to complement the MBPJ hall with supportive public facilities.

As an MCA division chairperson, I am automatically appointed into the state committee. For the past years during the state committee meetings, this matter has been brought up and this public learning and service centre has always been part of the public facilities plan for Selangor MCA. 

Before the date of the land application, it was not designated as a water catchment area. During the date of approval for the land to MCA, the land was never categorised then as a water catchment area.

Additionally, squatters were all resettled and given property elsewhere under the Setinggan Sifar programme. They were never evicted. Dragonfruit plants were never planted on the land, but on Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) land with their permission under a programme to make full use of idle land for agricultural purposes.

The DAP should not stop MCA from undertaking public service for the good of the community. They should reveal the true facts of the matter, and not slander MCA with allegations of corruption and lies to further incite hatred amongst the community.

We sincerely hope and expect that the DAP elected representatives together with their appointed councillors will apologise to MCA vice-president Chew Mei Fun for their slanderous attacks.

I would like to call for a meeting with the local council members, state assemblypersons and the elected representatives to discuss how to best assist MCA in realising this public centre for the good of the Petaling Jaya community and Selangor regardless of race, religion and background.

MCA has a long and good track record when it comes to servicing the needs of the public. Our service centres continue to save lives, and continue to assist with the health needs of the community. We provide crisis and humanitarian relief in times of natural disasters.

We continue to provide education for preschool students and training for preschool teachers through Tunku Abdul Rahman University, Tunku Abdul Rahman College and Koperasi Jayadiri Malaysia Berhad (Kojadi) which do not discriminate and serve to provide higher education to all Malaysians.

It is MCA’s ideology to work with and assist other NGO’s to help the society in the interest of the public based on compassionate and selfless values. We have been providing public services to the community even without a government platform. 

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TAN GIM TUAN is the MCA Petaling Jaya Utara division chairperson.- Mkini