‘Yayasan is facing losses’

By Martin Carvalho, The Star

PETALING JAYA: The Selangor Government’s decision to reject temporary occupation licence (TOL) applications by nursery operators in Sungai Buloh and instead award it to Yayasan Selangor is to save the foundation from financial losses, the Federal Government charged.

Agriculture and Agro-Based Indus-tries Minister Datuk Seri Noh Omar said prior to 2010, the foundation was said to have RM80mil in its coffers.

He claimed a recent audit revealed that Yayasan Selangor was RM7.4mil in the red.

Noh said his ministry was willing to assist the 50 nursery operators if their plight remained unsolved.

“I am willing to meet them to discuss the matter,” he told The Star.

Yesterday, The Star highlighted the plight of the nursery operators and reported that their applications were rejected on May 25 although they were advised by their elected representatives to apply for TOLs three years ago.

Noh said the state government’s action to reject the applications and award the TOLs to the foundation ran counter to its election promise to help the people.

“The nursery operators have contributed a lot towards the development of horticulture and landscaping industries,” he added.

Noh, who is also the Selangor Umno deputy chief, cited the state government’s recent attempts to evict villagers on TOL land in Kampung Sungai Kerandang, Hulu Selangor as another example where land was being acquired at the expense of the people.

Selangor MCA secretary and Kuala Kubu Baru assemblyman Wong Koon Mun said the TOLs in Sungai Buloh could have been awarded to the foundation as a pretext for the state government to develop the land in the future.

“They (the Pakatan Rakyat-state government) know that the nurseries are located on prime land as there are plans to develop the Sungai Buloh Rubber Research Institute,” he added.