Umno Pahang has repeatedly failed to clear a land premium amounting to RM4.8 million for its 10,000-acre land - the subject of a controversial multi-million logging concession awarded by the state government - despite being given four extensions by the state land office.

The district land office in Pekan - where the vast piece of land is located - has issued a 'final warning' in January this year and stated that the ownership of the land, as well as the lucrative logging concession, would be revoked if Umno Pahang is unable to meet the payment by July 3.

Contacted today, the Pekan district land office head Zainal Rahim Darus said he was uncertain whether the party had paid the premium before the July 3 deadline.

"I and several of other high-ranking officials are currently outstation for a function in Chini Lake. I need to check the details before I made any comments. I'll provide you with an answer tomorrow when I'm back in the office," he told malaysiakini .

With the non-payment of the land premium, the legitimacy of the logging concession is in question. However, most of the 10,000-acre land have already been logged.

Malaysiakini

earlier this week reported that the Pahang government led by the state Umno chief - then Khalil Yaakob - had awarded a multi-million logging concession to Umno Pahang five years ago.

To make the deal aboveboard, the party was required to pay RM4.8 million of land premium to the district land office so that Umno Pahang can begin clearing the land, ostensibly to make way for a palm oil plantation.

The plot of land is located at Nenasi, about 100km south of Kuantan, and falls under the Pekan district.

A Kuantan-based logging company Seruan Gemilang Makmur (SGM) was given the task to log the land three years ago.

However, the company recently sought RM31 million in compensation through the courts from Pahang Umno after the party failed to secure a licence from the state forestry department for SCM to log the remaining 3,000-acre land.

Unusual extentions

Documents in malaysiakini 's possession showed that Umno Pahang has been given four unusual extensions to pay the land premium since June 2000.

The Pekan district land office has repeatedly served notices to Umno Pahang informing the party to clear the multi-million ringgit premium.

It is believed the original land premium was close to RM10 million, but this was slashed by half after a directive was issued by the state government.

The land office served a second notice to Umno Pahang on Jan 17, 2001 and gave the ruling party six months to pay up. The deadline was however further extended after an appeal from the party.

Another extension - which is rare in normal circumstances - was made in August last year. However, the land office eventually gave an ultimatum for the payment to be made by early last month.

"This is the final extension," said Pekan chief deputy land administration Othman Noh in a letter to the party.

Under the National Land Code, the ownership of the land - and subsequently the logging concession - would be revoked if the land premium was not paid in full.

But industry experts told malaysiakini that the annulment of Umno Pahang's land - about 40 sq km in size - would come too late for the plot would have been stripped of logs.

'Misrepresentation and forgery'

Meanwhile, Pahang Menteri Besar and state Umno chief Adnan Yaakob denied his party's involvement in the botch deal with logging company SGM.

According to news reports today, Adnan said he was unaware of the deal since the land was approved by his predecessor in 1998.

However, Adnan claimed that SGM had dealt with "one or two individuals" who had cheated the company through misrepresentation and forgery.

He stressed that the issuance of logging licences to SGM falls under the purview of the state forestry department, not the state government.

The MB also told reporters that the state government and Pahang Umno were ready to be investigated the matter.