KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 11 — Mulia Property Development Sdn Bhd, the management of Exchange 106 recently implicated in a ward of words between former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Damansara MP Tony Pua, clarified today that that Indonesian convict Djoko Tjandra, or Joe Chan, is no longer part of the skyscraper project or a shareholder.
In a statement today, the firm said Chan, who was one of the founders of the Mulia Group, was not involved in the Exchange 106 in any form and not a shareholder or director.
“His legal issues were personal in nature in Indonesia and not related to the Exchange 106,” it said.
The company was responding to a statement by Pua who was defending himself after being accused of threatening Chan who was then part of the company handling the Exchange 106, part of the Tun Razak Exchange, a 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) legacy.
The project was given an RM1.8 billion government loan in 2016 by then prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak after the developer was unable to secure funding amid the 1MDB scandal.
Pua alleged that Chan was furious after the Pakatan Harapan government sought to perform due diligence on the project after taking over the government in 2018, as the latter was previously given the “royal treatment” by Najib.
Mulia today also confirmed that due diligence was conducted in 2018 and resolved.
“In 2018, when a due diligence exercise was conducted on the Exchange 106, the project was still under construction, and regulatory compliances were still proceeding as works-in-progress.
“The management had cooperated well with the due diligence exercises carried out and all matters had been finally adequately clarified and resolved.
“The management of the Exchange 106 also wishes to express its appreciation to the government who had been very supportive and instrumental to the successful completion and commissioning of the Exchange 106 by end-2019 in accordance with all regulatory requirements, laws and regulations,” it said.
Chan, an Indonesian businessman, was a fugitive for 11 years for embezzlement before being arrested in Malaysia last year and thrice convicted by the Indonesian government.
He is currently serving prison time in the republic for multiple corruption charges.
