Palm Plantation Patronage – How Taib Pays off Political Pals!
By Sarawak Report
Many have questioned in our comments why Taib’s political colleagues allow his corruption to continue?
Our researches through the land registry are starting to provide the answer. Most of his political cronies, who occupy the top ministerial jobs, have themselves been major benefactors of the Chief Minister’s largess over state lands.
In recent years they have started to try and cover up their names, but we have gained access to some of the older records as well! It is plain that for many BN YBs the end of Taib would mean the end of their cushy plantation titles, so they are hanging on to the old ‘rainmaker’ with all their might!
Naroden Majais
- Simunjan Assemblyman, Assistant Minister in the C M’s Department and now a vast plantation-owner! Naroden Majais
Take for example Naroden Majais. He has repaid the trust of his constituents in Simunjan by taking a staggering amount of their land! We identified no less than 19 land titles handed out to him via the companies Hydroflow and Indranika Jaya in the Simunjan area during the period 2003 – 2007.
Naroden has also bagged a massive 5,000 hectare plot in Baram region, according to the records.
These handouts alone amount to a total of 15,500 hectares which were given out for a premium of RM5.7 million. But, in case Naroden could not afford to pay or sell these on in time he was given a nice discount of RM500 per hectare on much of the land, says the records, and he was also given between 5 and10 years to pay it!
Cover up!
Sarawak Report has also detected some rather half-hearted attempts by Naroden to cover up his control of these land titles, which provoked some criticism amongst bloggers in 2008. If you look at the current land records (which we have made publicly available on our site) you will see that Hydroflow and Indranika are currently registered under the name of Kong Goon Siong, based at Lot 298, Tingat 1, Lorong 9, Jalan Rubber, Kuching.
Details from the current land records.
However, if you go back to the 2007 land registry the connection with Mr Majais becomes rather plainer. You will note that it was then his name in the land records, next to exactly the same address as the one now used by Mr Kong Goon Siong!
