IPOH, 24 DEC: Perak DAP Chairman, Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham reaffirmed today that he and Perak Assemblyman, Nga Kor Ming together with a number of investors had commercially acquired Upayapadu Plantation Sdn Bhd in April this year as opposed to malicious allegations by pro-BN media.
“I would like to reiterate that neither YB Nga Kor Ming nor I was given any land by the Kelantan Government,” says Ngeh, refuting the blatant lie by pro-BN blog, Pisau.net which claimed that Kelantan Menteri Besar, Tok Guru Nik Aziz Nik Mat had rewarded the two with 10,526 acres worth of land in Gua Musang in exchange for the Perak Menteri Besar post.
Ngeh has made a police report with respect to the defamation against Nga Kor Ming, Tuan Guru Nik Aziz and himself while simultaneously litigating against those who have defamed him.
According to Ngeh, in September 2000 the Kelantan State Government approved the land to Yayasan Islam Kelantan (YIK) and three months later was approved to one company for development. Upon failure to develop said land, it was taken back by YIK in 2004 and awarded it to Upayapadu Palntation Sdn Bhd in 2005.
“Upayapadu Plantation Sdn Bhd also was not successful in developing the project and its shareholders decided to sell the company. I and the other investors (YB Nga Kor Ming included) bought the company in April this year (2012),” says Ngeh in a statement issued today, adding that the allegation that the land was given in agreement to appoint Dato’ Seri Nizat Jamaluddin as Perak Menteri Besar in 2008 is a blatant lie.
Ngeh who is Perak Assemblyman for Sitiawan, also says that when the false allegation surfaced in Perak, it surprised no one and that none of the BN elected representatives who raised the issue dared to repeat the allegation outside the State Assembly, knowing that the allegations were false.
Acquisition was not a secret
The Beruas MP further clarifies that his involvement in the project in Gua Musang was informed to DAP Parliamentary Leader, Lim Kit Siang.
Furthermore, in September 2012 Ngeh informed the Inland State Revenue Department of the acquisition and asked for a ruling on whether a certain tax was payable with regard to the acquisition.
In addition to that, Deputy Minister for Plantation Industried and Commodities, Dato’ Hamzah Zainuddin was also informed, as he is the Chairman of ‘Program Pembangunan Ladang Hutan’ (Reforestation Programme) which had granted a loan for the said land.
“He met me personally in Parliament and explained that the Government will continue the loan even though the project is now taken over by me who is from the opposition,” says Ngeh.
“Therefore, the acquisition of Upayapadu Plantation Sdn Bhd was not done in a secretive manner. I must repeat that it was a commercial transaction purchased in the open market,” he says.
Calling for the public to not doubt his sincerity in fighting corruption, Ngeh says that we must not allow BN to use falsehoods to divert the public’s attention for their own corrupt practices. – The Rocket
