Kelantan land to DAP’s Ngeh and Nga to stay
(Berita Daily) – The PAS-led Kelantan government will not rescind the contract on the award of a 10,000-acre piece of land in Gua Musang to two Perak DAP leaders despite the fallout between the two political parties.
Deputy Menteri Besar Mohd Amar Abdullah said the land deal involving the Kelantan Islamic Foundation was strictly a business transaction and had nothing to do with politics.
“Although PAS severed ties with DAP, it does not mean we will go for a tit-for- tat move to seize the land from the directors of Upayapadu Plantation Sdn Bhd. In this case it is revenue for the state and nothing will be done to rescind it.
“It is just good business despite speculation that it is appropriate for the land to be taken back as a move to punish the DAP leaders,” he said when contacted here today.
He was asked to comment on the land deal between the foundation and Upayapadu Plantation, whose directors are Perak DAP chief Ngeh Koo Ham and his cousin and Taiping MP Nga Kor Ming.
News reports alleged that they were given the land as kickback from PAS for allowing PAS to take the Perak menteri besar’s post after the 12th general elections in 2008.
However, Ngeh denied news reports which claimed that Upayapadu Plantation has been logging for timber on the piece of land, which Barisan Nasional (BN) lawmakers alleged had been corruptly awarded to the firm.
The Beruas MP clarified in a statement that the firm was instead involved in a reforestation project that was previously encouraged and supported by both the Kelantan state and federal governments.
He said Upayapadu Plantation has not taken out any single log from the land it has undertaken to do reforestation since he and some investors took over the company.
Ngeh claimed that the news reports were a lie, saying the pictures published in the newspapers showing timber being carted out of the land had likely been taken from elsewhere.
He said that contrary to the reports, he and other investors in Upayapadu Plantation were merely carrying out reforestation to help ensure sufficient, sustainable timber supply for the future.
Ngeh also denied that the reforestation project would affect the livelihood of the Orang Asli, claiming that none of the indigenous tribes live on the said land.
Mohd Amar also denied that the contract award was part of a deal to let a PAS representative be sworn in as the Perak menteri besar then.
