BUKIT MERTAJAM: Penang Regional Development Authority (Perda) chairman Mohamed Haniff Khatri Abdulla today vowed to carry out a major cleanup of the agency.
He said today that it would include taking action to prevent the sale of land at below market prices, a practice which had affected the reputation of the agency two years ago.
Haniff who has led the agency for just 13 days said: “Whatever happened is now being investigated by police and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.
“The investigation will be concluded by the end of next month, when civil action can be taken against those responsible for selling land at a cheap price.
“The civil action is to protect the interest of Penangites and also recover land that has been lost,” he said.
Then Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng had claimed that Perda sold 3.4ha of land in Kampung Tok Keramat, Nibong Tebal, for RM1.42 million even though it had a market price of RM16.6 million.
The land was sold to Syarikat SYT Prestige Sdn Bhd on July 28, 2015.
Haniff refuted claims that his appointment was politically motivated.
“I was an adviser to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad before he became the prime minister, and legal adviser to Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia,” he said.
“I am not a member of any political party.”
Perda was formed in June 1, 1983, as a Penang development agency under the Prime Minister’s Department.