KUALA LUMPUR: The Armed Forces Fund Board (LTAT) has refuted Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz’s claims that the Defence Ministry (Mindef) did not involve them in Malaysian Armed Forces lands’ privatisation.
Its executive chief Tan Sri Lodin Wok Kamaruddin in a statement explained that Mindef had always given priority to LTAT for the implementation of projects, especially involving land swap method.
“LTAT is grateful and thankful that is often given trust to carry out projects under Mindef through our wholly-owned corporation, such as Perbadanan Perwira Harta Malaysia (PPHM).
“The co-operation has commenced as early as 1986 when PPHM was entrusted to develop the Armed Forces Families Housing Project (RKAT) at Oya Camp, Sibu,” Lodin Wok said.
He said after the Oya Camp was successfully completed, PPHM continued to be entrusted with 17 Mindef major projects.
These projects are 400 RKAT units at the Desa Tun Hussein Onn Camp in Kuala Lumpur; 900 RKAT units at Sungai Udang Camp, Melaka, and Tuanku Mizan Military Hospital in Wangsa Maju.
PPHM also involved in the relocation of six Kuala Lumpur air base – namely Sendayan air base(Negri Sembilan) , Kuantan air base (Pahang); Gong Kedak air base (Kelantan); Butterworth air base (Penang); Subang air base (Selangor) and Kajang Royal Artillery Regiment (31 RAD).
As such, Lodin Wok said, it is untrue that LTAT was not involved in Mindef major projects as claimed by Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz.
He added that the profits earned through the projects were returned to the soldiers via LTAT dividend which is credited to the contributory account annually.
It also listed numbers of incentives and contributions conducted by LTAT that benefited the soldiers and veterans and their family members.
Among them are funding of scholarship programmes and the Education Excellence Award through LTAT Foundation amounting to RM3.2 million to 2,773 children of soldiers and veterans who have achieved excellence in education.
A total of RM10.9 million subsidies for 50 categories of goods below the market price at Perbadanan Perwira Niaga Malaysia (PERNAMA) shops to help ease the burden of rising cost of living.
In 2017, LTAT and its group companies and LTAT Foundation have funded various scholarships and welfare programmes involving more than 134,600 soldiers, veterans and their eligible family members at a cost of RM416.1 million.
“With this explanation, it is clear that LTAT is always given the space and opportunity to work with Mindef.”
Last Saturday, Rafidah through an open letter to the prime minister uploaded on her Facebook account, stated that Najib who was defence minister in 2008, had recommended the privatisation of over 40,000 hectares of Mindef/ Armed Forces land to a three-person company and this had been approved and implemented.
However, Hishammuddin and Mindef have since denied this, making it clear that it was nothing but a baseless accusation.
Mindef in a statement yesterday said the appointment of the company to implement development projects under Mindef, including the land swap privatisation method, was in accordance with the procedures established under the Public Private Partnership Unit (UKAS).
It added that each development project was implemented by different companies and had nothing to do with one another.