Umno man: Ramlee’s mansion from money earned through business

KOTA KINABALU: An Umno man says that while the seafront mansion in Kampung Kuala Dua in Putatan does belong to Sabah Assistant Finance Minister Ramlee Marhaban, it was built long before he became the assemblyman for Bugaya.

Responding to reports published in several print and electronic media outlets, Semporna Umno Youth exco member Norsadin Samshuddin said that before Ramlee was elected Bugaya assemblyman in 2008, he was a very successful businessman in Sabah.

“In the early 90s, he was involved part-time in managing contract works to maintain 10,000 acres of Felda plantation in Felda Sahabat 8 and 24.

“Syarikat SAM Enterprise and Pemborong SARA, which he managed, were awarded contracts to harvest and transport oil palm fresh fruit bunches (FFB) in Felda Sahabat 8 and 24,” he said.

Norsadin, who is a Semporna local, added that due to the success of his businesses, Ramlee decided to resign from his post in the Tawau Labour Department and became a full-time contractor in 1995.

In the same year, one of his companies, Pemborong SARA, was upgraded to a Class D Civil and Construction Contractor, and Ramlee’s businesses expanded to include service and supply contracting.

At this time, Pemborong SARA was awarded many government projects from various government agencies.

“After completing several government projects, Pemborong SARA was further upgraded by PKK (Contractor Service Centre) to Class A Contractor, and the company was renamed Pemborong SARA Sdn Bhd in 1999.

“In 2003, the company was recognised with the Kontraktor Wibawa award for its success in carrying out various government projects,” he said.

Between 1999 and 2008, Pemborong SARA was also subjected to annual financial audit reports and had consistently paid its dues to the Internal Revenue Board (IRB).

“The mansion which irked Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) so much was actually built using Ramlee’s own money that he made through his businesses. It was completed in 2006.

“When he was nominated as Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate in the Bugaya state constituency in 2008 and won the seat, he chose to resign from his businesses to pay full attention to his job and responsibility as the people’s representative,” Norsadin said.

Therefore, Norsadin said, it was not true that the house was built through illegal means as alleged by Warisan.

On Tuesday, Warisan Youth chief Mohd Azis Jamman revealed that Ramlee not only owned the mansion, but had more than a dozen luxury cars, including two Lamborghinis and a Ferrari parked within the house’s compound.

Azis said he was baffled as to how Ramlee had managed to accumulate so much wealth in the span of less than ten years after becoming a politician.

Azis added that compared to Warisan president Shafie Apdal’s house, Ramlee’s home was a mansion complete with a swimming pool and an indoor badminton court among others. Shafie’s meanwhile was only a modest detached house in Taman Golf View.

“Ramlee has been accusing Shafie of doing too little. I agree. Shafie has done too little for himself. He should have done a lot more and perhaps he could live in a better home,” Azis said. -FMT