PERAK DAP has denied pressuring Menteri Besar Ahmad Faisal Azumu to give a 999-year lease to new villages in the state.
“We have never pressured Faisal and have a very good relationship with him. Perak DAP has pledged to support his leadership and will stand by him,” said Nga Kor Ming in a statement today.
The Teluk Intan MP, who is also the Aulong assemblyman, was responding to a Mingguan Malaysia report that said he wanted Faisal to grant the new villages a 999-year lease.
The Umno-owned newspaper also speculated that the Perak DAP and Amanah were planning to table a motion of no-confidence against Faisal.
Nga said he had never raised the issue of land titles either. “But when I was asked about it, my reply was, Pakatan Harapan is committed to fulfilling all its manifesto promises.
“The Utusan report has bad intentions and is aimed at disrupting unity between races,” said Nga.
Faisal had said last week that it was against the Federal Constitution to give 999-year leases or permanent land titles to new villages.
Faisal was responding to several DAP reps in the state assembly.
During Pakatan Rakyat’s brief rule in Perak from 2008-2009, the coalition had promised to give the new villages such a lease.
Meanwhile, Tabung Tinggi assemblyman Dr Abdul Aziz Bari denied there were plans to oust Faisal.
“The Utusan report is pure speculation. There isn’t talk in DAP or Amanah about it (removing the MB). And this is the first time I am hearing about such a plot,” the former university lecturer told The Malaysian Insight. – https://www.themalaysianinsight.com
PETALING JAYA: Perak DAP chairman Nga Kor Ming today denied claims by a local Malay daily that he and the DAP want to grant freehold status to new villages.
Nga told theSun that the claim was not true at all.
“I have never triggered the issue. When I was questioned by a press member from Bernama, I only said that the Pakatan Harapan government is committed to fulfilling the promises which were in our manifesto and these are the same words which was in Perak Mentri Besar Ahmad Faizal Azumu’s speech in the recent state assembly sitting,” he said.
Nga slammed media reports which he believes were intended to slander him.
“I would like to stress that DAP is a responsible political party and never had forced or pressured Ahmad Faizal with regards to this matter. DAP will always facilitate and stay together with the Mentri Besar in developing the state,” added Nga.
This comes after DAP allegedly said Perak should go ahead in granting freehold status to new villages, and disputed a statement by Ahmad Faizal on the constitutionality of doing so.
New villages are usually identified with the Chinese community.
The scheme was started by British colonialists in their attempt to contain Chinese residents living near the edge of jungles, fearing they would support the communist guerillas.
There are over 600 new villages nationwide, with a large number of them in Perak.
Ahmad Faizal had reportedly said that granting the 999-year lease to new villages was against the Federal Constitution.
He said under the National Land Council’s (MTN) Specific Policy on Landholding for the New Village Areas, the leasehold period for new villages was increased from 30 to 60 years.
But Nga allegedly said matters on land ownership and grants were under the state and not the federal government or MTN.
“I feel that it is not contrary to the Federal Constitution. The constitution has determined that land is under the jurisdiction of the state government, the MTN only gives advice, that is all,” Nga said yesterday, as quoted by Bernama.
He added that granting freehold status would benefit all races, adding that it was something promised in Pakatan Harapan’s manifesto. – THE SUN DAILY
THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT / THE SUN DAILY
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