Pro-Umno portal MyKMU has hit out at criticism that Putrajaya's sale of Bandar Malaysia was a case of selling-out to China, countering it with the claim that the DAP-led Penang government, too, had sold local land to foreigners.

It said this in response to several opposition leaders, including from DAP, who criticised 1MDB's sale of a 60 percent stake in the 486-acre Bandar Malaysia project to a joint venture between the China Railway Engineering Corp (CREC) and local group Iskandar Waterfront Holdings (IWH).

"In May 2015, Penang sold 20 acres of land worth RM30 million to Jabil Circuit Singapore Pte Ltd, a company owned by the US.

"And in July 2015, Penang granted a 49 percent ownership of a 6.8 acre project in Penang worth RM11.3 billion to Temasek Holding and Edis which is 100 percent-owned by the Singapore government," it said in a post today.

MyKMU said in the case of state-owned 1MDB, it was accused of selling out the country but when the DAP-led Penang did the same, it was considered as "foreign investment".

"Penang is small but they (the DAP government) have sold off a lot. If it wins the federal government, then more will be sold off," it charged.

The portal added that the Chinese company will only control 24 percent of Bandar Malaysia, while Johor-based IWH and 1MDB will still control the remaining 76 percent of the project.

Johor to benefit

Also coming to Putrajaya's defence was former mainstream editor Ahirudin Attan, better known for his blog 'Rocky's Bru', who said the sale was set to benefit Johor.

Johor owns a 40 percent stake in IWH through Kumpulan Prasarana Rakyat Johor.

Ahirudin said Johor's Sultan Ibrahim Ismail Iskandar would never allow the state to get involved in Bandar Malaysia if it amounted to selling out to China.

"You think the sultan will allow a Johor party to get involved if the deal amounts to selling out the nation?" he asked.