SHAH ALAM: The Selangor state government should have appointed an independent law firm to handle issues related to the compensation of Ijok land settlers and not one that has political links.
Selangor Barisan Nasional chairman Tan Sri Noh Omar said this was because the law firm which handled the case was represented by R.Sivarasa, who is also Subang MP and PKR member.
This very fact had effectively made the negotiations for the compensation lop-sided, said Noh, adding that for Sivarasa to blame Umno for allegedly twisting facts clearly showed that there was indeed a conflict of interest which benefits only one party.
"It is not wrong for him (Sivarasa) to be the lawyer in this case, but he must act fairly to the settlers," said Noh.
Noh, who is also Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister, was met after he submitted objections on the redealination exercise, here, today.
Noh also claimed that the settlers had not been furnished with the correct information on the issue.
"If the lawyer is a PKR MP while the chief is also a member of the party (Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, who is also PKR deputy president), for sure this will create doubt," he said.
Yesterday, Barisan Nasional Strategic Communications (BNSC) deputy director Datuk Eric See-To said there was a possible conflict of interest in the compensation to settlers in the Ijok land scandal.
He said the decision by the Selangor state government to appoint Daim & Gamany law firm that has links to a PKR leader to act as a representative for the settlers had raised various questions that have yet to be answered until now.
“This has given the impression that the law firm had arranged to take on this case. The PKR member which has links to this firm is R. Sivarasa who is also Subang member of parliament.
“Selangor Menteri Besar (Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali) is also a PKR member. The Selangor Menteri Besar, who is also the deputy president of the party, was represented by Sivarasa, who is from PKR.
“How did this situation take place? Perhaps Sivarasa could have excused himself from representing the settlers due to this possible conflict of interest,” said See-To in a statement.
See-To also raised the question whether the law firm had told the settlers that their land was going to be sold for RM1.18 billion and that the two companies that had failed the settlers for 18 years would be getting RM880 million while the settlers will only get RM300 million.
The plots of land spanning 880ha was bought by LBCN Development Sdn Bhd and Mujur Zaman Sdn Bhd in 1998.
The two plots were seized by the Selangor state government when Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim was the Menteri Besar in 2009 after the developer appointed by settlers had failed to develop the land.