PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Rubber Board (MRB) has shot back at Najib Razak after the former prime minister defended the purchase of thousands of acres of land which is said to have caused some RM800 million in losses.
This comes after Najib urged MRB to ask Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng on the difference of some RM800 million in the sale of 2,330 acres of land from a finance ministry special purpose vehicle to the Employees Provident Fund.
“He has not answered my questions. He has been pussyfooting. He doesn’t deserve my answer till he answers my questions,” MRB chairman Sankara Nair told FMT.
“When he answers my questions, I will answer his,” he added.
Last week, Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok said MRB had in 2010 sold a 2,800-acre plot of land in Sungai Buloh to Aset Tanah Nasional Berhad (ATNB) for RM1.5 billion.
ATNB then sold 2,330 acres of the land to EPF-owned Kwasa Land Sdn Bhd for RM2.28 billion, a difference of some RM800 million from the original price paid by ATNB.
Following this, EPF denied knowledge of the arrangements between MRB and ATNB when it bought the land from ATNB.
Nair questioned the denial, saying formal agreements were signed on Aug 16, 2011 by MRB, ATNB and Kwasa Land at an official ceremony.
“This indicates the EPF had full knowledge and was fully apprised of the price at which MRB sold the land to ATNB.
“It’s scandalous for the EPF to make a complete denial now,” he said.
Nair also accused Najib of “orchestrating and engineering such an elaborate scheme by performing an indirect sale through a third party”.
In his response, Najib said Nair should ask Lim for an explanation on the 2010 purchase by EPF.
“Why is he afraid to ask Guan Eng and claim back the RM800 million, if he is still not convinced and insists that MRB suffered losses as the land was sold below market price?” the former leader asked. - FMT
Woi Bijan it is not about claiming back the 800 million losest but its about the hanky panky behind it.
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