Dr M: Khir’s mansion RM3mil? Has to be much more than that!
Khir claims he bought the house with a HSBC loan of RM3.5million. But according to Suee Lim, the bungalow was built on roughly 50,000 square feet of land at an estimated cost of RM20 million, while the land alone cost RM3.8 million.
Suara Keadilan
Former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad has called on ex-Selangor menteri besar Khir Toyo to explain how he managed to fund the construction/purchase of a palatial mansion said to be worth RM24 million located in an expensive suburb in Shah Alam.
“Yes, I think so. He has to explain where he got the money. Don’t just say RM3 million. I think it’s much more than that. I, too, have a house. My house in the Mines cost me RM1 million. His is how many times grander than mine,” he was quoted as telling The Malaysian Insider.
Mahathir, who gave Khir his first big break in politics by appointing him MB, is the latest to call on Khir to come clean on the matter.
Others have even demanded an immediate government inquiry. The embarrassingly luxurious abode only adds to the Umno-BN’s aura of massive corruption and abuse of power.
Meanwhile, Malaysians have been agog at news reports and the accompanying pictures of Istana Khir or Khir’s Palace splashed all over papers and cyberspace this week.
The Umno leader has threatened to sue DAP MP for Sekinchan Ng Suee Lim for taking reporters and photographers to the Section 7, Shah Alam home earlier this week.
Khir claims he bought the house with a HSBC loan of RM3.5million. But according to Suee Lim, the bungalow was built on roughly 50,000 square feet of land at an estimated cost of RM20 million, while the land alone cost RM3.8 million.
The DAP assemblyman also showed documents from the Selangor Land and Mineral Office, confirming Khir and his wife Zahrah Kechik jointly bought the land from Ditamas Sdn Bhd in 2007. Two bungalow plots were bought for RM2.9 mil and RM900,000 respectively.
The former MB also imported exclusive top-of-the-range fixtures and furniture from Bali.
“He has a right to build a house of whatever size he wants. But as a former menteri besar, he has to explain how he funded the house. The frontage alone costs approximately RM290,000. The tiles you see are imported,” said Suee Lim.
He urged the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate Khir and also threw in a quick math lesson for the reporters present.
Taking the RM48,000 monthly salary earned by current Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim as a guide, Suee Lim reckons Khir’s income over the eight years he was in office would total to some RM4.6 million.
He pointed out that Khir was a dentist before becoming Menteri Besar and used to live in a rented house in Sekinchan itself. “How could he afford to have spent about RM24 million on his house?” Suee Lim asked.
Khir has been grilled over the matter in the Selangor state assembly, currently in session. Apart from threatening to sue, he has counter-claimed that he has businesses and earned more than enough to service the loan.
“I continued to practise dentistry once a month at a mobile clinic and on my children even while I was mentri besar,” he said.
However, PKR assemblyman for Sri Andalas Xavier Jeyakumar said this was impossible.
“I have made checks with the Malaysian Dental Association and he did not have a licence to practise during the eight years while he was mentri besar and has only just renewed his licence,” Xavier said.
