Azmin quizzed over land return

Rahman: What was Selangor MB’s rush?

CYBERJAYA: Datuk Seri Azmin Ali needs to explain why a piece of land seized from two companies has been handed back to them, said Barisan Nasional’s strategic communications director.

Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan said that the Selangor Mentri Besar should explain why the state government returned the 889.7ha plot in Ijok, Selangor, to the two companies.

In 1998, settlers in Ijok had agreed to give the two companies approval to develop the land.

However, then Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim later repossessed the land after the companies failed to pay the land premium, among other reasons.

Rahman said Mujur Zaman and LBCN Development then sued the Selangor government.

The High Court and Court of Appeal subsequently ruled in favour of the state government.

“What is the justification for Azmin to hand over the land to the companies when the courts had decided in favour of the state?

“Why was Azmin in a rush to do so instead of waiting for the Federal Court to hear the case?

“Even if the Mentri Besar wanted to dispose of the land so that compensation could be awarded to the settlers, why can’t this be done directly by the state?” Rahman asked at a media conference yesterday.

Azmin had filed a settlement agreement at

What is the justification for Azmin to hand over the land to the companies when the courts had decided in favour of the state? Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan

the Federal Court in May 2016 to state that the Selangor government and the two companies had agreed to annul the case.

Rahman said it was perplexing that the two companies had signed an agreement with a third party to sell off the land for RM1.81bil in September 2015, before the Federal Court heard the case.

He said that a few days ago, the Mentri Besar announced that the 980 settlers would receive compensation.

Each of them is to receive RM180,000 in cash and a house worth RM250,000.

“The total payment to be made is RM421.4mil.

“I would like to know where the remaining RM758.4mil from the land sale is,” said Rahman.

He said Azmin owed the people an explanation as to why he was in a hurry to release the land when the state had a good chance of winning the case in the Federal Court.