MACC still probing rubber board ‘land scandal’, Dewan Rakyat told

 

It was alleged that two lots of Malaysian Rubber Board land at Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, had been offered to companies at below market rates.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is still investigating the alleged “land scandal” at the Malaysian Rubber Board (MRB) after former plantation industries and commodities minister Khairuddin Aman Razali was accused of interfering with the board’s handling of two parcels of land.

Deputy plantation industries and commodities minister Wee Jeck Seng said the government was waiting for the investigation to be completed before its next course of action.

He was replying to Mahfuz Omar (PH-Pokok Sena) on the progress of the investigations into the proposed sale or lease of the prime land at Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, to Turkey’s Al Noor Foundation and Eurowhite Sdn Bhd.

Wee said that both the proposed transactions had not been finalised after the parties failed to reach an agreement.

He said an advertisement was placed for companies to resubmit their interest to develop the two lots of land on Oct 2, 2020.

“It was done through open tender,” he said.

Wee said an evaluation was carried out in November last year after six proposals were received to develop the first lot, and Al Noor Foundation was adjudged to have offered the best bid of 70 sen per sq ft for a period of 10 years and an extension of five years with a 10% lease increase,

As for Eurowhite, he said, the agreement was also on hold as MRB was waiting for a further briefing.

There had been allegations that Khairuddin had approved the lease of the two lots below market rate. He had lodged a police report.

Wee said all land deals must follow government procedures and needed to go through an evaluation by selected committees.

He also said MRB would draw up the shortlist based on such criteria as documentation and financial and banking status.

An NGO had previously alleged that the second lot had been offered to Eurowhite at a price of RM1,032.92 per sq ft, said to be below the market rate of about RM1,400 per sq ft. - FMT