DAP REP DENIES GRAFT CLAIMS

Poay Tiong defends himself, says land deal in Kelantan genuine

AHEATED war of words marred the final day of the state legislative assembly sitting here yesterday.

Assemblymen from both sides of the aisle were involved in a verbal fracas against each other as the land deal in Kelantan linked to a DAP lawmaker was broached yet again.

Things started heating up when state opposition leader Khoo Poay Tiong (DAP-Ayer Keroh) took to the floor to deny graft allegations linked to the deal.

He grabbed the opportunity to clear his name when state assembly Speaker Datuk Othman Muhamad allowed him to ask Chief Minister Datuk Seri Idris Haron a supplementary question during the question-and-answer session.

Khoo, however, accused the speaker of double standards for allowing the chief minister to disclose a police report, which named him and three others of being involved in graft, at the state assembly sitting.

He continued to defend himself before several Barisan Nasional (BN) members shouted at him, asking him to continue with his question instead.

“Please don’t try to get yourself thrown out of the Dewan again,” they said, drawing laughter from other assemblymen.

On Wednesday, Idris said Khoo got himself booted out of the state legislative assembly sitting to avoid being in the spotlight over the land deal.

During the question-and-answer session yesterday, Idris took a swipe at Khoo for interrupting his reply to Goh Leong San (Independent-Duyong).

“Only those who eat chili will feel the heat,” Idris retorted.

Earlier, Idris, in reply to Goh’s question on a police report lodged at the Tanjung Minyak police station over the land deal, said the report was being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating and was lodged by a 50-year-old farmer on Dec 14 last year.

“In the report, the complainant claimed that two men, Wong Chi Sing and Chua Soon Teck, told him that they could help the complainant obtain approval to lease a 202ha plot of land in Kuala Krai, Kelantan. This was on the condition that the complainant also made a donation to Pas to fund their election campaign.”

Idris said the duo took the complainant to meet Khoo to convince him.

He said after being convinced by Khoo, the complainant made several transactions to Wong’s bank account (RM528,000) and Mohd Haffiz Mohd Rasdir via the Pasir Mas Pas Youth chief ’s bank account (RM448,300) between 2012 and January 2014.

Khoo said the questions raised by Goh and Chin Choong Seong (Independent-Kesidang) on the matter were ill-intended, and aimed at killing his political career and tarnishing the DAP’s image.

He said questions involving a police report should not have been raised at the assembly as it did not benefit the rakyat.

Khoo said the land deal was genuine and there was no element of graft involved in the deal.