MINDEF MAKES MACC REPORT ON LAND DEALS
Projects involving Hutan Melintang, Paloh army camps incurred RM500m losses
THE Defence Ministry (Mindef) has lodged a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) involving two out of 16 land swap deals done by the previous administration.
The deals had incurred the government losses of over RM500 million, it said.
The special duties officer to the defence minister, Mohd Nasaie Ismail, handed over the report on the Hutan Melintang army camp in Perak and Paloh army camp in Johor to the graft-buster at its headquarters here yesterday.
The report was made by the Governance, Procurement and Finance Investigating Committee headed by former auditor-general Tan Sri Ambrin Buang.
It showed significant political involvement and negligence as well as mistakes in governance under the previous government, said Nasaie.
This incurred great amount of losses to the government, and compromised and threatened the importance of the national defence strategy, he added.
He said the two projects were swapped with Kinrara Army Camp land in Selangor and Rasah Camp in Negri Sembilan, which was also taken over by a private company.
“The construction of the Paloh and Hutan Melintang camps were not part of the Defence Ministry’s plan or the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP).
“However, instructions were issued to build these two camps for political reasons. It was the ministry’s plan to build a camp in Port Dickson, Negri Sembilan, as a replacement for the Kinrara Camp, but it was cancelled and replaced with the Paloh camp in the Sembrong parliamentary constituency in Johor.
“The case is similar with the Hutan Melintang camp in the Bagan Datuk area, which was not slated under 11MP.
“There is evidence of political interference and direct involvement of the Election Commission to transfer and increase votes of army personnel and their families in both parliamentary constituencies,” he added.
In previous reports, Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu said the land swap deals had resulted in over RM500 million in losses and leakages. He said the projects involved 1,186ha of land belonging to the Defence Ministry valued at RM4.75 billion, with project costs of RM4.88 billion.
Nasaie said there were also doubts in the prices of both lands, which were sold to private companies to build the camps.
“There are inconsistencies in the price tag set by the previous government under the leadership of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his deputy Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
“The Kinrara camp land, which was valued at RM758 million by the Valuation and Property Services Department, was sold for RM500 million. And the 24.92ha Paloh camp was sold for RM10.47 million, 43 per cent higher than the value set by JPPH, which was RM7.28 million.
“It is strange that the previous government, which claimed that it was short of resources, adopted the land swap methodology to carry out Mindef ’s projects.”
Nasaie also said the project construction had been instructed to start even before the deals were finalised and signed by both parties.
He said these projects had put the safety and interest of army personnel at stake and efforts to strengthen the military were disregarded.
“The military needs the Port Dickson camp because the existing Rasah camp is in a dilapidated condition. Army personnel were abruptly transferred to the Hutan Melintang camp before it obtained the certificate of completion and compliance.
“The main goal of strengthening the army in the west coast by transferring personnel from Tambun and Kamunting Camps were also cancelled.”
“And the Hutan Melintang camp only housed a small number of soldiers from the army regiment.”