Negri Sembilan Opposition Leader Anthony Loke said that he believes that something is amiss with a recent multi-million ringgit land deal between the state and 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) for a plot of land in Sendayan.

In a statement today, Loke who is Lobak assemblyperson said that suspicions surfaced when his "uncontroversial" question on the matter for the next assembly sitting was rejected through a letter from the Speaker's office on July 20.

NONE The question was on the details of a sales and purchase agreement including the value of a June deal between the Negri Sembilan Menteri Besar Incorporated (MBI) and 1MDB for a 303.5 hectare parcel of Sendayan land.

The land is to relocate the Royal Malaysian Air Force station in Sungei Besi, Kuala Lumpur.

"It is an uncontroversial question on a deal worth hundreds of millions. It's a big deal, but there has been no news on the details," Loke ( left ) said when contacted.

"Why is the transaction done in such a confidential manner? What is the state trying to hide from public knowledge?"

He added that this is not the first time a question has been rejected, and often it is "usually when the government is not comfortable in revealing their position".

Old debt finally settled

According to Loke, eyebrows rose even higher when Menteri Besar Mohamad Hasan paid off a RM250 million loan to Kumpulan Wang Amanah Persaraan (KWAP) on Wednesday.

It was reported that the payment was made through 1MDB.

"The MB said it was because of his government's good financial governance, but it has nothing to do with that. It was because the land was sold to 1MDB," he said.

The state had in 2005 taken the loan to compensate Felda Sendayan settlers whose land was reclaimed for development, to the tune of about RM500 million in cash.

The remainder 50 percent of the compensation was given in the form of a house and two acres of land each.

Several settlers are, however, currently pursuing a case against the state as they felt that they had been shortchanged, the compensation being far lower than the market price.