‘Reveal those involved in Jalan Semarak deal’
SHAH ALAM: Non-governmental organisation Gabungan Wawasan Generasi Felda (GWGF) wants Felda to reveal the identities of those involved in the dubious RM200 million sale of the agency’s land in Jalan Semarak.
Its chairman, Tan Sri Rozali Ismail, said the ownership transfer of any land under joint development could not be done before the full completion of the project.
“We want to know which party within Felda made the decision for the ownership transfer of this land. Apart from that, there have been issues in the past five or six years with investments made by Felda which did not prioritise the settlers and Felda’s next generation,” said Rozali, adding that GWGF wanted assurance that such cases would not recur.
“We do not want to see a repeat of the herbal city project and hotel deals,” he said.
He said GWGF would not hesitate to file a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) should they discover evidence of abuse of power in the ownership transfer of the land.
“We also want Felda to appoint an independent panel to monitor affairs involving investments.
“This panel should include the children of Felda settlers, seeing that there are many among Felda’s younger generation who are qualified professionals,” he said, and called on Felda to tighten its guidelines on investments.
Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi echoed Rozali in saying that the culprits must be identified.
Puad said he was confident Felda chairman Tan Sri Shahrir Samad would be able to deal with the issue and set things right, but those responsible, especially if they were still in office, should take responsibility and resign.
He questioned the attitude of those at the Federal Territory Land Office and their failure to cooperate.
“MACC needs to investigate this case thoroughly, including transactions and the attitude of officers at the Federal Territory Land Office and ‘insiders’ from Felda.
“Action must be taken as this issue is of public interest,” he told Berita Harian.
Johor Felda Youth Council chairman Manndzri Nasib said the news had caused an uproar, especially among Felda’s new generation of settlers.
He said the success of Felda for the past 50 years, the result of hard work by the settlers and Felda employees, was at stake, following the revelation that a “dubious deal” saw the ownership of the land belonging to the government agency being transferred to a private company.
Manndzri said the settlers’ dedication made it possible for Felda, now a well-established government conglomerate, to eradicate poverty through land development.
“With the successes achieved by Felda, we can’t accept the fact that its land has slipped out of its grasp, no matter the circumstances and reasons given”, he said in a statement, lauding Felda chairman Tan Sri Shahrir Abdul Samad and his team’s mission to re- gain the land.
He also called for those responsible for the fiasco to be punished as a deterrent to others.
The “dubious deal” comprising the sale and purchase agreements involving the four parcels of land was discovered in January this year when Shahrir took over from Tan Sri Isa Samad, who was chairman of Felda and Felda Investment Corporation.
The plots of land are estimated to be worth RM270 million.
The ownership of the land was reportedly transferred to Synergy Promenade Sdn Bhd in 2015.
Upon discovering the deal, Felda immediately placed a private caveat on the land.
Berita Harian r eported on Wednesday that Felda was at great risk of losing ownership of the strategic piece of land, which had been earmarked for the Kuala Lumpur Vertical City (KLVC) development project.
The project features seven towers, including Felda’s iconic tower, to be known as KLVC Tower 1A.
The office complex will have 59 floors of office space, a two-floor office podium including parking lots, a six-floor car park, a twostorey underground car park, a rooftop garden, as well as a helipad.