New Straits Times

‘ALL DBKL LAND DEALS VIA OPEN TENDER’

This is to prevent dubious prices, says minister

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ALL land deals involving Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) will be carried out through open tender, said Federal Territorie­s Minister Khalid Abdul Samad.

He said this was to prevent any transactio­n of land sale and purchase at dubious prices, when compared with the market price.

“Before, it was done through direct negotiatio­n,” he said when opening Plaza Arkadia here yesterday.

Khalid recently revealed that RM149 million was recovered after the government renegotiat­ed terms on 16 land parcels sold by DBKL during the previous administra­tion, as well as getting back 5.04ha of land valued at RM113.8 million.

The renegotiat­ion was conducted by a special committee following the action by the previous government in selling the land at a price much lower than the market value.

Khalid said the investigat­ion conducted by his ministry was only on the commercial aspect of the land deals.

“The ministry cannot investigat­e the allegation­s of corruption and misappropr­iation because we cannot access the bank accounts of (the suspected) officers.”

Khalid said this when asked about a call from anti-graft group Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism recently which asked him to reveal the outcome of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission probe into shady land deals by DBKL.

 ?? BERNAMA PIC ?? Federal Territorie­s Minister Khalid Abdul Samad (centre) with the winners of the Children’s Fun Run at the launch of Plaza Arkadia in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. With them is ParkCity group executive chairman Datuk Seri Yaw Chee Siew (left).
BERNAMA PIC Federal Territorie­s Minister Khalid Abdul Samad (centre) with the winners of the Children’s Fun Run at the launch of Plaza Arkadia in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. With them is ParkCity group executive chairman Datuk Seri Yaw Chee Siew (left).

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