After Sharizat’s brother, Rafizi now links deputy minister to UiTM deal
(Malay Mail Online) – PKR whistleblower MP Rafizi Ramli today added the name of another Umno leader to a controversial build-and-rent scheme at a Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) campus in Negri Sembilan.
The Pandan lawmaker claimed that Agriculture and Agro-based Industries deputy Minister Datuk Tajuddin Rahman owns shares in a company that is involved in the concession deal — part of a RM8.6 billion plan to privatise construction of six UiTM campuses nationwide.
“This is a repeat of the same in all privatisation concessions of other UiTM campuses where each concession company has links with Umno leaders or businessmen with close ties with Umno,” he said at a news conference here.
Citing information from the Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM), Rafizi is claiming that Detik Utuh Sdn Bhd — where Tajuddin is a majority shareholder — holds a minority stake in Unitapah Sdn Bhd, which was awarded a 23-year concession to build and rent out the Tapah campus to UiTM.
The CCM documents also listed Tajuddin’s daughter, Sri Rahayu, as a director in both companies.
“Even if Datuk Tajuddin Rahman’s holdings are not as big as that of other Umno politicians in previous concessions that I have exposed in the past, it confirms that every privatisation concession of UiTM branch campuses is making profit for Umno politicians through rental that is a burden on the rakyat,” Rafizi told reporters.
Tajuddin has yet to respond to the Malay Mail Online’s attempt to reach him for comment.
Last week, Rafizi alleged that Datuk Shahrir Abdul Jalil — the brother of former minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil — had a stake in a company involved in the Tapah UiTM concession deal.
He claimed at a news conference in the Parliament lobby that Shahrir was one of two directors of a RM2 company, Tentu Selesa Sdn Bhd, which in turn has a 29 per cent stake in Inovatif Mewah Sdn Bhd, which received the concession for the state-owned university’s Seremban III campus.
The other major figure in Tentu Selesa is Datuk Aidit Ghazali, another figure known to be close to Umno.
He is the deputy president of Jati, a hardline Islamic NGO set up by ex-PAS leader Datuk Hasan Ali known to be supportive of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.
Rafizi previously accused Putrajaya of intentionally privatising the construction of six UiTM campuses nationwide to allow Umno-linked firms to rake in RM8.6 billion of public funds.
The Pandan MP said the move meant the government must pay RM375 million in rent annually for 23 years, according to concession agreements revealed in a parliamentary reply by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak on April 10 this year.
Rafizi alleged the six concessionaires have ties to Umno, the leading party in the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.
