PAS, Keadilan lodge report with ACA over logging venture
The opposition has lodged a report with the Anti-Corruption Agency against the Kedah state government on a logging joint venture project between Heli Harvesting, Yayasan Islam Negera Kedah and a Sarawak company named WTK Holding Berhad.
Keadilan deputy Youth chief Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, who lodged the report together with PAS Youth chief Mahfuz Omar yesterday, alleged that the project involved 160,000 ha of water catchment area in Ulu Muda.
The report was lodged at 11.20 am at the local ACA office in Alor Setar. The report was received by ACA officer Muhamad Fauzi Husin.
"The project hints of possible corruption and criminal breach of trust," Saifuddin told malaysiakini when met in Anak Bukit.
In March, Utusan Malaysia reported the approval of the project situated in a forest reserve land. The report in the Malay daily said that the state government will only receive RM600 million annually from the joint project.
The report is part of the opposition eight-day campaign strategy as its leaders gear up for the July 18 by-election in Anak Bukit and Pendang.
In his report, Saifuddin claimed that the land is too large to be approved instantaneously and the returns to the state government were not adequate compared to the size of the land involved.
State assembly not informed
He questioned whether there was an open tender for the project as the Kedah state assembly has not been informed of it.
"We have also not heard of an environmental study conducted before the project was approved," said Saifuddin, who is also a Kedah state assemblyperson representing Lunas.
"Furthermore, Yayasan Islam is only alloted 20 percent of the equity eventhough it is a joint venture project," he added.
Saifuddin also claimed that logging activities in the area will also give rise to security problems at the Thailand-Malaysia border.
He urged the ACA to immediately investigate the report and questioned the integrity of Kedah Mentri Besar Syed Razak Syed Zain as the project involved "the personal interest of a government leader".
The Pendang parliamentary and Anak Bukit state seats fell vacant following the death of PAS president Fadzil Noor on June 23.
In the 1999 general election, Fadzil defeated former parliament secretary to the Prime Minister's Department Othman Abdul with a majority of 2,934 votes by obtaining 22,413 votes over the latter's 19,474.
Fadzil also defeated Abdullah Hasnan Kamaruddin in Anak Bukit with a majority of 1,840 votes, garnering 8,480 votes over Abdullah's 6,640 votes.
For more news and views that matter, subscribe and support independent media for only RM0.36 sen a day:
Subscribe now