KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 20 ― The Defence Ministry must urgently punish those behind RM4.75 billion worth of land privatisation deals during the Barisan Nasional administration, said the National Patriots Association.

Responding to Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu’s statement that the ministry lost RM500 million in such land swaps, the group said it has been highlighting the matter since April last year.

"Patriot in our media statement on April 9 2018 asked three questions: (1) What had transpired during the last ten years since Najib Razak, then Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister made the proposal in 2008 to privatise the Mindef/Armed Forces land? (2) Was the more than 40,000 hectares of land privatised? (3) If so, to which company and who were the owners of the company?

"There are many questions still unanswered, such as: 1. What happened to the balance of the 40,000 hectares originally mentioned? 2. For the 16 cases of land swap discovered so far, was it direct dealing with the persons/companies involved or through a phantom company? 3. Who were the politicians and culprits involved, and were there military top brasses involved too?” Patriot president Brig-Gen (Rtd) Datuk Mohamed Arshad Raji said in the statement.

He also urged the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to immediately "swing into action” by freezing the assets of those suspected and to prevent them from leaving the country.

Those responsible must be punished as they have tarnished the image of armed forces personnel, he said.

The minister disclosed yesterday that investigations found that the majority of 16 land swaps involving 1,186 hectares worth as estimated RM4.9 billion were conducted without detailed planning and due diligence.

He also alleged political interference.

In April last year, former minister Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz publicly alleged that land belonging to the Armed Forces had been swapped by a company supposedly under the control of three individuals.

The Defence Ministry had denied impropriety at the time.