KUCHING, Jan 29 — The Sarawak state government must suspend the ongoing alienation of over 100 hectares of land in Kuching to make way for a probe by the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC), the state opposition said today.
Sarawak DAP chief Chong Chieng Jen said there is no other option for Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem, especially since the latter and his entire state Cabinet had signed the corporate integrity pledge with the MACC.
“This is because the MACC has started investigation into how the state land has been alienated to a company at such a low price and without any open tender,” he said at a news conference here.
Chong claimed that the MACC had informed him that an investigation has already begun on the RM115 million transaction between the state government and Standard Parade Development Sdn Bhd for a total of 108.12 hectares of land along Jalan Batu Kawah in Kuching North.
The Bandar Kuching MP claimed that the deal was signed by State Secretary Tan Sri Morshidi Ghani on behalf of the state, and company directors Barry Tan Chong Liang and Sin Kuoh Swee.
Part of the deal allegedly involves the construction of the Sarawak Amal Tenaga Isteri-Isteri (SABATI) building, which will be named Bangunan Laila after the late wife of governor Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud, on a 3.2-acre site at Jalan Bako, Chong added.
“I would say that this is the first dubious land deal under Adenan because it was signed eight days after he had succeeded Taib on Feb 28, 2014 as the chief minister,” he said.
Chong noted that the onus falls on Adenan to freeze the land deal, to prove to the public that he is serious in his fight against abuse of power and corruption in his administration.
“Otherwise, there is no use for Adenan and his state Cabinet colleagues to sign the corporate integrity pledge in front of the MACC officers recently,” he said.
