Sekinchan assemblyperson Ng Suee Lim has exposed yet another improper land deal involving the Tanjung Karang Umo division in Selangor, this time a 1.2-hectare plot the division bought at discount of RM3.17 million in 2001.

The Umno division only paid a premium of RM130,244 for the commercial land during the previous BN state administration, despite the price initially being fixed at RM3.3 million, based on market value.

NONENg (right in photo) said the Tanjung Karang Umno division first applied to buy the state government land off Jalan Sungai Kajang on March 31, 2001, with the then-Sungai Burong Umno assemblyperson Mohd Aini Taib being the central figure in the deal.

The Selangor government, through its economic action council, approved the application on July 3, 2001 and a market valuation done by the relevant department priced the land at RM3.3 million.

However, the Umno division appealed for a reduction of the cost, which the state duly approved in April 2002.

"In the end, the state allowed the premium for the land to be reduced to RM1 a square foot, and the Umno division needed only pay RM130,244 in total," Ng said when contacted by Malaysiakini today.

Umno challenged to pay back the premiums


Ng urged the current Tanjung Karang Umno division chief, who is also the Agriculture Minister, Noh Omar, to explain the land deal.

“They must explain why they could get such an offer, when the majority of the rakyat can’t even get a small piece of land to build their house,” he said. 
He challenged Umno to pay back the premiums should they be sincere about promoting transparency.

“If you can’t (pay back the premiums), then walk the talk and surrender the land to the state,” he said.

The land is now earmarked for development by a joint-venture company between the Umno division and Bumi Utama Construction Sdn Bhd. 

NONEEarlier this week, Ng had dug out a similar land deal in which the same Umno division bought a 0.437 ha land worth RM1 million at RM47.039.

Producing documents detailing the sale of the land, he said the original price was more than RM24 per square foot.

“Such a price (discount) is normally only available for traditional settlements, not for commercial land,” Ng said.