Land Deals Galore!

With Penang land scam deals taking a breather, new news as well as damning evidence invloving MCA has surfaced in Perak. Evidence revealed today may have broad repercussion to MCA and BN not only in the states now under Pakatan Rakyat but will probably raise more questions in States now under BN.

MCA Perak embroiled in controversial land deal Stanley Koh | Apr 18, 08 11:43am
www.malaysiakini.com

Fresh revelations from a controversial land deal in Pasir Pinji, Perak are likely to cause further embarrassment for the MCA and raise further questions on alleged impropriety undertaken by the party’s state leadership led by Ong Ka Chuan. The controversy erupted following a recent news report that the new Pakatan Rakyat Perak government has cancelled a land application approval given by the previous administration to the MCA Ipoh Timur division on the grounds that there were elements of abuse in the approval.

According to the Perak Menteri Besar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, the a portion of the land located in Pasir Pinji, Ipoh, has been occupied by a soy factory operator since 1953. It was learnt that the Sin Yong Guan Food Industries Sdn Bhd soy factory belonged to a person named Kenny KS Yap who had unsuccessfully applied for the land a long time ago.

Details now emerge that the party division had intended to make a tidy profit from the land deal by selling the portion occupied by the soy factor to Yap. According to a reliable source, the chairperson of the Ipoh Timur division Chew Wai Khoon had applied for the 2.18 acres of land which included 0.92 ha of land occupied by the soy factory.

When the approval was given by the former state government, it is claimed that Chew had the intention to sell back the 0.92 ha back to the factory owner for the asking price of RM188,430.66.

Malaysian Joe says, ' Easy money mate... easy peasy.... just sell back and make a bundle'

Improper and immoral
Thong Fah Chong when contacted by Malaysiakini, one of the three signatories (appointed trustees of the Ipoh Timur division) deputy chairman of the division Thong Fah Chong confirmed that details of the deal.

He said that he had refused to sign the Sale and Purchase letter document (dated 24 March 2008) because he felt the land transaction was improper and immoral. “I refused to sign the letter (addressed to a lawyer) because I feel the land deal was against my principles of
morality,” he told Malaysiakini.

Thong, are there any good men left in MCA? I hope you are doing all these not because you have not benefitted. If you have done it with all the noble intentions.. I SALUTE YOU. Should'nt this be revealed long long long long time ago?

The other two trustees who signed the letter (bearing the name of the division) were Chew and division secretary Liew Ah Ming. When news on the approval by the former state administration leaked out just before the recent March 8 general election, the DAP had successfully exploited the land issue.

MCA detractors are also blaming MCA Perak chief and party secretary general Ong Ka Chuan for the loss of the Pasir Pinji state seat for giving approval for the land deal. Transport minister Ka Chuan is also the brother of party president Ong Ka Ting. Both of them are under pressure from an influential segment of party members over the party’s failures in the general election.

Ka Chuan’s role

Thong is also questioning Ka Chuan’s role in the land deal as he had “contributed RM100,000 cheque” as part payment for the land premium of RM387,262, Thong said that many party members can act as witnesses to the cheque contribution although Ka Chuan Ong since taken back the cheque.

“This land deal has added to the general feeling that there is something wrong with the leadership integrity. “This is also one reason why MCA Perak lost the Pasir Pinji state seat in the recent elections. “Party members in the state must now judge what type of leaders they should vote for in future,” Thong said. As for the soy factory owner, the new Perak state has asked him to submit a fresh application to the Land and Mines Department.

Justice being served? Well, I hope that we will put right as many things as possible that was made wrong in the last 40 odd years or so. It may not be easy but the new state governments are showing they are indeed the real deal for us, rakyat Malaysia.

Hidup Ketuanan Rakyat!