Thursday, June 21, 2018

Land sold at undervalue to UMNO-BN linked companies? Given approval?Zuraida Kamaruddin?

Government/State Land being sold to UMNO-linked company at low prices, who then sells to another at higher value?

The market price for land in Taman Wahyu is about RM250 per square foot but the Land Office sold it at RM68psf. 
Then permission given to build 'high-end condominium apartment building' - and these permission is given by the Local Council and government departments...

Worse, people are not consulted before approval is given to such development projects ...Maybe, Pakatan Harapan government needs to bring back those large Notice Boards giving opportunity for people to lodge views/complaints (which was there before, but UMNO-BN did away with this). The right of people to participate (give their views, object, support, express concern). Those 'big' Notice Boards informs the people that application to build a condominium/housing estate, supermarket/etc have been submitted, and people can send their comments, opposition, etc to a relevant address before a certain date. Thereafter, they also will have a right to attend a public hearing about the project - to even make verbal points...All this is taken into account by the Local Council(Local Government) before a decision is made to approve or not approve an application for development...

Most important to consult people - before the approval is given by the Local Council(or State/Federal government). In the case of Lynas, I believe people in Kuantan only knew about what it was for after government had given approval...and building of the plant had already commenced...

Flood Mitigation Ponds? Well, in every locality there are swamp lands and/or flood mitigation ponds - whose very existence will stop flooding in the area. Such locations should never simply be permitted to be filled and build upon - for the result would be easier flooding in the area...even flash floods. So, will the government 'compensate' victims...for after all, it was government failure that caused such floods...Token payments as 'flood assistance' and some food items just will not compensate the losses suffered in floods..
The pond was meant for flood mitigation but land there has been sold for a high-end condominium property project.
What the Kepong MP raised is a serious issue...how much land have the UMNO-BN government sold at low price to UMNO-BN owned companies, to companies owned by UMNO-BN politicians. In KL, what was the Minister of the Federal Territories doing? What was the KL Mayor(a political appointee) doing? This is one more reason why we speedily need Local Council elections....for democratically elected local councilors will certainly be more concerned for the well-being of the people in their area...not so, when they are merely 'political appointees'? 

Which new Minister is responsible to look and investigate the 'wrongs' done by UMNO-BN with regard the sale of government land cheap...and the approval of development permits? Zuraida Kamaruddin is the Housing and Local Government Minister, and maybe she will be the Minister responsible to now investigate and reveal similar cases all over Malaysia ...

Our Kepong MP did good in raising this issue - other MPs must also highlight issues like this that have affected their area... 

The Attorney General should also look into this matter ...and consider how Malaysia can recover from such companies, who were sold land below market value...or were given such permits ...Can Malaysians get back our monies...?

MACC must also look at these cases - where the land use was changed to enable building of apartments, condos, ... Was there some form of corruption? 

MP demands to know why pond land was sold for condos

 | June 16, 2018

Lim Lip Eng asks the Chief Secretary, Ali Hamsa, why he previously approved the land sale at a low price for a high-end condominium apartment building.
 
VIDEO INSIDE
Lim Lip Eng and Yee Poh Ping (in pink shirt) with community leaders on a visit to the mining pond at Taman Wahyu.

KUALA LUMPUR: Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng wants the Chief Secretary, Ali Hamsa, to explain why he previously approved the reclamation of parts of a pond for a high-end condominium project.

“We are appalled why the chief secretary ordered the land around the pond to be sold at a lower price to build posh condominiums.

“If the land is sold and reclaimed at a low price to build schools or affordable housing projects, we do not have any objections. It is not proper to have more condominiums here,” he told reporters during a visit at the condominium project at Taman Wahyu here.

Lim said the project would increase the traffic density and cause jams in Taman Wahyu. “It is not right in the first place to sell it for commercial purposes without consultation with local residents.”
The market price for land in Taman Wahyu is about RM250 per square foot but the Land Office sold it at RM68psf. Lim said the land around the pond was sold to a developer which was later transferred to another company.

Members of the public fishing at the mining pond at Taman Wahyu. The pond was meant for flood mitigation but land there has been sold for a high-end condominium property project.

Kepong Community Service Centre leader Yee Poh Ping urged the federal government, which is in charge of the federal territory, to stop the development project.

“This area used to be beautiful but the development has damaged the landscape,” he said.

Yee said the pond was meant for flood mitigation. He said that the Land Office, in answer to his queries, said that the land was transferred to the developer under the National Land Code without proper explanation. 

However, the construction would not affect flood mitigation.

He said City Hall had promised in the past to use the pond area for recreational purposes.- FMT, 16/6/2018


Kepong MP wants clarification on land sale to Umno linked company


KUALA LUMPUR: Kepong Member of Parliament Lim Lip Eng has urged Chief Secretary to the Government (KSN) Tan Sri Dr Ali Hamsa to clarify a land deal in Taman Wahyu here, which was sold below market value to an Umno-linked company.

Speaking to reporters at the Jinjang Flood Retention Pond here today, Lim said the 35.2ha land was sold to Maqamad Sdn Bhd (formerly known as Sun & Son Sdn Bhd) at RM68 per square feet (sq ft) on Nov 20, 2015, when the market value then was at least RM250 sq ft.

"We are seeking an answer from Ali Hamsa because the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur Land and Mines Office is under his purview.

"Besides, we all know that Ali Hamsa is merely a civil servant, so he has to tell us the person who approved the sale," he said, adding that he would also enquire officially with the KSN after Hari Raya.

Lim said, in the 5A form dated Nov 20, 2015, and addressed to Maqamad, the Federal Territories Land and Mines Office indicated the land premium being RM237 million.

He said while Maqamad has yet to finish paying the premium, it had sold the land to a Sarawak-based developer Perdana Park City Sdn Bhd.

It was reported in April this year that Perdana Park was collaborating with China-based Country Garden Holdings Co Ltd. for mixed-use commercial development on the land consisting of a hotel, offices, parking, shopping mall, connectivity and apartments.

Lim said that the development would result in traffic congestion and flooding problems to the area, as the retention pond was supposed to be used to mitigate floods. — Bernama - Sun Daily, 16/6/2018
 




KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 21): Utusan Melayu (Malaysia) Bhd (Utusan) has disposed of its entire 20% stake in Maqamad Sdn Bhd to MHA59 Sdn Bhd for RM48 million to improve its operating cash flow and strengthen its financial position....Utusan said the disposal is expected to result in an improvement to its earnings by approximately RM48 million for the financial year ending Dec 31, 2015, and contribute positively to its earnings per share....The publishing company, which is 49.77%-owned by Umno and publishes the Utusan Malaysia and Kosmo! newspapers, has been loss making since 2012. - The Edge Markets, 21/12/2015

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