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21 July 2012| last updated at 12:55AM

‘MB must have known of FGV shares purchase’



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ALOR STAR: Pedu assemblyman Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid has alleged that Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak was lying when claiming he had no knowledge of Kedah state Economic Development Corporation's (SEDC) purchase of 500,000 shares of Felda Global Ventures Holdings Bhd (FGV) for RM2.3 million.

"He should know about it. As the menteri besar, he is also the chairman of SEDC and all purchases involving RM1 million and more, must get his consent.

"He must sign the papers before the SEDC can buy the shares. So, how can he say he was unaware of it?" he said in response to Azizan who claimed that he was ignorant of the SEDC's purchase of the FGV shares recently.

Mahdzir, who is state opposition leader, said as a former menteri besar, he knew what he was talking about.

"As chairman of the SEDC then, all purchases involving RM1 million or more needed my signature.

"How can he say he did not know? He has lied to the people of Kedah."

Azizan had admitted an oversight on his part on the share purchase when asked by reporters here recently.

He said he understood that the purchase did not go down well with some parties in the Pakatan Rakyat, including from Kedah Pas.

Pas-linked National Felda Settlers' Children Association (Anak) president Mazlan Aliman, who is a Pas central committee member, had also urged Kedah SEDC to apologise to the people for purchasing the FGV shares after many quarters in Pas and their allies, including Parti Keadilan Rakyat and DAP, had condemned FGV's listing on Bursa Malaysia.

Bowing in to the pressures, Azizan has since ordered the SEDC to dispose of all its Felda Global Ventures Holdings Bhd (FGV) shares. The SEDC has since sold off 50,000 FGV shares and gained RM47,500 in profit.

Azizan had also absolved Kedah SEDC chief executive officer Datuk Abdul Rahman Ibrahim of any wrongdoing over the FGV fiasco, but did not rule out that it could have been the fault of his officers.

Mahdzir described Azizan's actions as trying to pass the blame on to others over the fiasco. "He has a knack for blaming others when something goes wrong. More importantly, he has lied to the people."

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