Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad attends the State Level Customer Day at Stadium Indera Mulia in Ipoh April 12, 2022. — Picture by Farhan Najib
IPOH, April 12 — Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad said he is yet to be called by the Perak Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) over the investigation of a piece government-owned land, which was sold to a third party, after its initial proposal as the site for an airport, in Seri Iskandar, Tronoh.
“I have not been called yet,” he said briefly to reporters after attending the State Level Customer Day at Stadium Indera Mulia here.
When asked if the state executive councillors (exco) will also be called for the investigation, Saarani said that he believes the exco were not related to this matter.
“The issue is related to the land owned by Perak Development Corporation (PKNP). So I believe those who will be called might be the former PNKP chairman, chief executive officer or the board of directors who served at that time.
“And as for me I might be called under the capacity of the current mentri besar and also the current chairman of PKNP,” he explained.
In March, Perak Infrastructure, Energy, Water and Public Transport Committee chairman Datuk Mohd Zolkafly Harun, in his winding-up speech at the state assembly, said that the plan to build the airport, which involves seven plots of about 478 hectares, had been approved by a state executive councillor meeting on February 28, 2018.
However, Mohd Zolkafly added that 188.13 hectares from the allocated land, which was owned by Perak Development Corporation (PKNP), had been sold to a third party.
This came after the issue was raised by Perak DAP chairman and Aulong assemblyman Nga Kor Ming during the state assembly sitting that the land had been sold without the state government’s consent.
On March 31, Saarani confirmed that a plot of land, which was previously identified as the location for a new international airport in Seri Iskandar, had been sold to a private company.
He said the sale of the land was conducted by the previous state government during the PH administration.
On April 5, four former state executive councillors, namely Howard Lee Chuan How (DAP), Datuk Asmuni Awi (Amanah), Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin (Amanah), and Tan Kar Hing (PKR), lodged a report on the land issue with the Perak Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
Nizar stressed that the sale of the airport land from PKNP to a third party was not discussed during any board meeting which he attended during his time as a state executive councillor.
Similarly, he said the sale of the land was not raised during any state executive councillor meetings.
As for the MACC report regarding the sale of the airport land, Saarani reiterated that there would be no cover-up by the state government and the investigation would be conducted in a transparent way.