LUXURY VEHICLES, MANSION BELONGING TO ASSISTANT MINISTER RAISES EYEBROWS

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One of the two Lamborghini’s said to belong to Ramlee Marhaban, the assistant Minister of Finance and Assemblyman for Bugaya. – All photos supplied by Parti Warisan
By BORNEOTODAY REPORTERS
KOTA KINABALU: Two Lamborghinis and an Aston Martin are among a fleet of about a dozen cars parked in a state assistant minister’s house here, is raising questions among his opponents in Parti Warisan Sabah.
Not only is the fleet luxurious vehicles raising eyebrows, a ‘palatial mansion’ at Kampung Kuala Dua on the Putatan seafront is also begging for answers as to how a government officer-turned-politician can become so insanely rich within the span of ten years.
RAMLEE MARHABAN
Speaking to reporters at a press conference at the headquarters here, Parti Warisan leaders said that they wanted answers from Ramlee Marhaban, the assistant state Finance Minister who lives in the ‘palatial mansion’ where the fleet of vehicles were also said to be parked.
“We are just asking for him to say if the vehicles and the house belong to him or any of his family members,” Azis Jamman, the Wira Warisan chief said.
“If he says, it is his, perhaps he can explain to the people how he earned that much money to pay for it all,” with Azis who was with Junz Wong, a Parti Warisan vice president said in a joint media conference Tuesday.
The mansion at Putatan whom Warisan leaders claim belong to Ramlee Marhaban.
Azis said that as former teacher and labour officer with the civil service, Ramlee became a first term assemblyman in the 2008 elections and only in the second term (GE13), he became an assistant minister.
“The value of the vehicles runs into millions of Ringgit. The mansion is furnished with a swimming pool, indoor badminton court and chandeliers are among other expensive fittings only begs for answers from our Bugaya YB (Assemblyman),”chipped in Wong.
Azis Jamman, Junz Wong and Nicholas Chak hold up print-outs of the mansion and luxury vehicles said to belong to the Assemblyman.
Both Wong and Azis said that Ramlee was busy accusing their president Shafie Apdal of doing too little for the years he spent as a federal minister.
“MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission) were shocked to find that he owns a simple house in Kota Kinabalu and the family home in Semporna. Shafie was renting a house in Kuala Lumpur,” Azis said.
A swimming pool at the mansion. The luxury cars are seen parked in the background.
“Yes, we agree that Shafie did too little for himself,” he said in reflecting on the life style of Ramlee whose fleet of vehicles were seen in Semporna during his son’s wedding.
According to Azis who was an Umno Youth chief at one time before he joined Shafie in Parti Warisan, Ramlee talked too much as if he had done a lot for the people in Bugaya (his constituency) when in actual fact nothing much was accomplished.
The indoor badminton court at the Assemblyman’s mansion.
Azis also wondered aloud if the mansion and luxury vehicles had attracted the attention of the MACC, and if not, perhaps they could start now.
Among the other vehicles said to be owned by the Assistant Minister and/or his family are a Mercedes S-class, Range Rover, Honda (2 units), Audi, Nissan GTR, Toyota FJ as well as a Ferrari.
The Mercedes S-class is said to cost almost RM500,000 if not more.
It is understood that the mansion, built over several acres of land, was already up before the 2013 elections.
Social media has since been flooded with photos of the mansion as well as the luxury vehicles with many, if not all, wondering how could an Assistant Minister to afford such wealth and property.
A Toyota FJ 4×4 vehicle which is worth several hundred thousand ringgit.