SHAH ALAM: Selangor’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) government has been urged to clarify whether it was involved in an ‘elaborate scam’ to cheat Ijok settlers in the state.
Umno Supreme Council member, Datuk Seri Dr Irmohizam Ibrahim said the recent arrests of the chairman and deputy chairman of the Ijok settlers steering committee by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), following claims that the duo had received kickbacks of between RM75,000 to RM150,000 from a third party consultant company, had shed further light on the issue.
Irmohizam said that previously, 2,200 acres of land belonging to 981 settler families were sold by two developers to a listed company at RM1.18 billion - where the 981 settlers received RM300 million while RM880mil was shared by the two developers and various third party consulting companies.
“In essence, the settlers only received compensation for their land at a price of RM3psf when the current market price is believed to be between RM35psf to RM65psf.
“Out of this RM880mil, these third party consulting companies received at least RM262 million. MACC had also arrested the owners and management of these companies,” he said in a statement.
Irmohizam said the PKR Selangor government, via a consent judgment, settlement agreement and supplementary settlement agreement, is believed to have full knowledge and support of how the RM1.18 billion pie was shared.
“The two suspects arrested last week were the chairman and deputy chairman of a settlers committee (new committee) that was suddenly formed only in 2014 after (former Selangor Menteri Besar) Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim was removed to replace a previous long-existing settlers committee (original committee).
“According to the chairman of the original committee, the new committee was set up out of nowhere and without the knowledge and agreement of the original committee and the settlers it had represented,” he said.
Irmohizam said the two “crony” developers then announced that they only recognised and would only negotiate with the new committee.
He claimed the new 16-member committee, without the knowledge and agreement of the original settlers committee and the settlers, appointed PKR MP R. Sivarasa's law firm, Daim & Gamany, to represent the settlers.
Irmohizam claimed that according to documents provided, Daim & Gamany's fees would be paid by the two developers.
“Serious questions are raised over possible conflict of interest over the appointment of this lawyer due to their fees being paid by the crony developers and his political links to the Selangor government. Due to this conflict of interest, many settlers are uncertain if they had received the best advice to protect their interests.
“The 981 settlers have each received a house as pert of their RM300 million payment. However there was no balloting done to ensure a transparent allocation of the houses,” he said.
He claimed that each of the 16 members of the new committee had received corner lots, which is worth substantially more than the ordinary units given to other settlers.
“With the unfair allocation of corner lots without balloting to the new settler committee members and the arrests and revelation its chairman and deputy chairman had allegedly received kickbacks from the third party consultants, who collectively received RM262mil, there are now deep suspicions if the new settlers committee had colluded with the crony developers, the third party consulting firms and politicians from the PKR Selangor government in an elaborate scam to cheat the settlers into accepting a payment that was obviously unfair.
“The PKR Selangor government must now answer if they are party of this scam as it would mean they have betrayed the trust of the very people they claim to represent,” he said.