PAC probes dubious DBKL land deals, mayor called to testify

Kuala Lumpur mayor Nor Hisham Ahmad Dahlan was called to testify before the Public Accounts Committee in its probe into 97 dubious land transactions involving the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).

According to PAC deputy chairperson Wong Kah Woh, the mayor delivered his testimony over the past two days.

"The mayor and few DBKL directors were here to brief us on the structure of the city hall and the jurisdiction of the Federal Territories minister, including its position on the 97 land deals," he was quoted as saying by Sin Chew Daily today.

During the PAC proceedings, Wong said, DBKL was told to adhere to standard operating procedures on land deals, particular on valuation.

The committee also called up Petaling Jaya councillor Derek Fernandez, who had alleged misappropriation in these land deals.

Fernandez previously claimed that the gazetted Kuala Lumpur City Plan 2020 saw the inclusion of 273 approvals that were not contained in the original drafted plan.

Wong said the PAC, which has conducted four proceedings into the DBKL land deals since April, would not address how these lands were gazetted.

This is because former Federal Territories minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor (centre in photo) had been charged in court over some of these deals, he said.

Tengku Adnan was charged last November with accepting RM2 million from developer Aset Kayamas Sdn Bhd, which was banked into the account of his Tadmansori Holdings in 2016.

The former minister is also charged with accepting RM1 million to increase the lot ratio of development along Jalan Semarak by Paragon City Development Sdn Bhd.

As Wong told Sin Chew, the PAC can provide suggestions to DBKL on managing its land deals.

"We do not take the position of developers, we have the interest of the government and local government at heart," he said, adding that the PAC plans to table its report on the land deals in the Dewan Rakyat this year. - Mkini