Pak Lah received RM76.4mil land from govt, Dewan told

 

Former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was given government land measuring 155,290.94sq ft at Persiaran Tuanku Ja’afar, Kuala Lumpur, where he built a RM7.24 million house. (Bernama pic)

KUALA LUMPUR: Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is the only former prime minister who was awarded with a plot of land, worth RM76.4 million, for his services to the government, the Prime Minister’s Department said.

In a written parliamentary reply to Pang Hok Liong (PH-Labis), special functions minister Abdul Latiff Ahmad said the Cabinet had, on June 16, 2009, approved the land at Persiaran Tuanku Ja’afar here to be given to Abdullah.

Abdullah, better known as Pak Lah, was the prime minister from 2003 to 2009.

Latif said the size of the land was 155,290.94sq ft. The valuation and property services department (JPPH) put a RM76.4 million price tag on the land, and listed the value of the property built on it as RM7.24 million.

Previously, the Dewan Rakyat had been told that Putrajaya received an application from Abdullah’s successor, Najib Razak, for a plot of land and a house allegedly worth a total of RM100 million.

Finance minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz’s confirmation of the application on Nov 18 last year – following rumours that went viral on social media – caused pandemonium in the House.

Opposition MPs, including Dr Mahathir Mohamad, criticised Najib, with Mahathir having a few choice words for him.

“The money that was stolen needs to be returned,” Mahathir had said, adding that the application for the property should be explained.

Najib subsequently withdrew his application for the land and house, saying he did not want it to be turned into an issue in the Melaka elections. -FMT