MB's aide: Kelantan land deal supported by BN ministers
Kelantan Menteri Besar Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat’s press secretary Ahmad Fadhli Shaari has furnished official letters to show that the 10,526 hectares of land granted to Upayapadu Plantation Sdn Bhd in 2006 was in fact supported by a federal minister and a deputy minister from BN.
Kelantan Menteri Besar Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat’s press secretary Ahmad Fadhli Shaari has furnished official letters to show that the 10,526 hectares of land granted to Upayapadu Plantation Sdn Bhd in 2006 was in fact supported by a federal minister and a deputy minister from BN.
In a statement released yesterday, Fadhli attached two letters - one from the then-plantation industries and commodities minister Peter Chin Kah Fui and another from the then-rural and regional development deputy minister Awang Adek Hussin.
He was responding to the demands of Umno leaders and NGOs urging Nik Aziz to give an explanation on the issue.
“Although a long explanation was given in a statement before this, it looks like the Umno leaders together with some pro-Umno NGOs still do not understand or pretend not to understand,” Fadhli said.
Chin’s letter dated Oct 12, 2005 was a letter of approval for Upayapadu Plantation to develop the land, whereas Awang Adek’s letter was addressed to Chin on Jan 16, 2006 supporting the approval in order to enhance the economic activities in Kelantan.
“Hence, I suppose everyone in Kelantan especially Umno leaders and NGOs can ask Awang Adek directly about this issue,” said Fadhli.
Awang Adek is currently Kelantan Umno deputy chief and Deputy Finance Minister while Chin is the Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister.
The Kelantan government was accused by Umno leaders of giving 10,526 hectares of land to Perak DAP chief Ngeh Koo Ham (
left in photo
) in exchange for appointing PAS’ Pasir Panjang assemblyperson Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin as Perak menteri besar in 2008.
Ngeh has denied the allegation, stating that he and his cousin, Pasar Remis assemblyperson and Taiping MP Nga Kor Ming, bought Upayapadu Plantation and thus obtained the land through the open market this year.
Earlier, Fadhli also clarified that in 2006 the land was leased to the company, which was then chaired by Wong Yeon Chai, to generate income for the operation of the Kelantan Islamic Foundation.
According to media reports in the 1990s, Wong was a timber tycoon in Pekan and known as ‘Tengku Wong’ due to his close relationship with the Pahang royal family.
The late primary industries minister Lim Keng Yaik once accused Wong of “legally practising illegal logging”.
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