Former minister Rafidah Aziz has challenged those disputing her claim that 40,000 hectares of military land had been given to a three-person private company to reveal the cabinet paper on this matter.
She also cited a two-year-old news report to dispute caretaker defence minister Hishammuddin Hussein’s remarks on the issue.
“You can ask ministers of that cabinet. Some may forget, but revealing the cabinet paper will clear the issue and establish the facts.
“No one should deny it. It is at the risk of violating their oath of office, invoking Allah Almighty.
“That’s damning on them,” she told Malaysiakini.
In an open letter to caretaker prime minister Najib Abdul Razak yesterday, Rafidah claimed that all land belonging to the Defence Ministry (Mindef) was privatised with a 40-year lease to the firm.
“The basic fact (is that) Mindef no longer owns an inch of land. It has all been privatised to the three-person company,” she said.
She had also listed a number of projects involving the privatised military land.
Among the projects were Bandar Malaysia which is on the former Sungai Besi Air Force base, the Majidee camp relocation, the East Coast Rail Link, the KL-Singapore High-Speed Rail project, a large-scale commercial agriculture project and the sale of the Butterworth Air Force base.
Meanwhile, Rafidah also cited a Borneo Post report from June 2016 which quoted Hishammuddin as saying, “The ministry officials have been asked to identify the ministry’s idle and unutilised land to be leased out to interested parties for crop cultivation such as rice, maize, and others.”
Earlier today, Hishammuddin had denied announcing that the ministry would conduct agricultural projects on “idle” land.
“I was having a discussion with the agriculture minister on food security. That was two or three years ago. Nothing has happened since then,” he had said.
In her open letter, Rafidah said that the privatisation project was brought up in cabinet in late 2008, when Najib was defence minister in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s administration.
Rafidah, who was then international trade and industry minister, claimed she had quizzed Najib on how the company was selected and why the Armed Forces Fund Board (LTAT) was not chosen instead.
According to her, Najib and Abdullah had said at the time that LTAT would be involved in the project later.
Hisham: Rafidah told three big lies on Mindef land
Former minister Rafidah Aziz’s claim that the Defence Ministry had leased 40,000ha of its land to a little-known company is a mix of lies and misinformation, said caretaker defence minister Hishammuddin Hussein today.
“That is strictly not true and a blatant lie,” he told a press conference in Kuching today.
Hishammuddin also denied announcing that the ministry would conduct agricultural projects on the “idle” land, as Rafidah alleged.
“I was having a discussion with the agriculture minister on food security. That was two or three years ago. Nothing has happened since then,” said Hishammuddin.
He was referring to Rafidah’s open letter to caretaker prime minister Najib Abdul Razak, where she alleged that a company owned by three individuals was now in control of 40,000ha of a Defence Ministry land.
Describing this as a privatisation project, Rafidah said the matter was brought up in the cabinet in late 2008, when Najib was defence minister in the Abdullah Ahmad Badawi administration.
Rafidah, who was then the international trade and industry minister, claimed that she had quizzed Najib on how the company was selected, and why the Armed Forces Fund Board (LTAT) was not chosen instead.
According to Rafidah, Najib and Abdullah had said at the time that LTAT would be involved in the project later.
In view of this, Rafidah urged Najib in her open letter to provide details of the company and name the three individuals who own it.
Hishammuddin stated today he has not been able to study the allegations in detail, and that he would review the relevant cabinet minutes soon.
He added that his ministry and LTAT will also respond to the allegations in due time.
According to a Bernama report on May 31, 2016, Hishammuddin did state that it would lease its idle land for farming purposes to address food security concerns.
MKINI
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