There is no issue about Mara trying to cover-up or delay actions related to its controversial purchase of the Dudley House property in Melbourne, Rural and Regional Development Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said today.

Ismail said the matter was now out of Mara's hands as it has taken all necessary measures under its authority.

"I have answered in Parliament that there were two actions taken by Mara. The first was to not renew the contract of Mara Inc CEO.

"We also handed over investigations to the MACC," he said at a press conference after launching the UniKL-Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology (Miat) on-the-job training programme with Asia Aerotechnics Sdn Bhd in Subang.

The contract of Mara Inc chief executive officer Abdul Halim Rahim, who was suspended after Mara's property scandal in Australia, was reportedly not renewed after his service ended in October last year.

Ismail was responding to PKR secretary-general Rafizi Ramli who on Tuesday questioned Mara's failure to recover A$4.75 million (RM14 million at the current rate), which had been allegedly overpaid for the purchase of its Australian properties.

'We have taken the necessary actions'

"Maybe Rafizi is unaware of procedures under the law. We have taken the necessary actions and we can't be involved beyond what we have done.

"Tan Sri Annuar Musa himself has handed over all relevant documents to the MACC and the matter is now beyond our control," stressed Ismail in reference to Annuar, who is the Mara chairperson.

In August last year, Australian newspaper The Age reported that top Mara officials and a former politician were linked to the purchase of an apartment block in Melbourne for A$22.5 million.

At a press conference on Monday, Rafizi repeated claims that the purchase was made at an "inflated price" and A$4.75 million was channelled as kickbacks for companies linked to Mara.

Rafizi also urged Mara to recover the amount overpaid from individuals named in court documents filed in Australia as having benefited from the A$4.75 million.

Ismail, Annuar and other top Mara officials had earlier toured the facilities at Asia Aerotechnics Sdn Bhd's aircraft maintenance hangar near the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Airport ( photo ).

Asia Aerotechnics is a wholly-owned Mara subsidiary and Ismail also expressed confidence that its graduates can be fully absorbed in various fields related to aviation engineering.

The courses are offered in a collaboration between UniKL and MIAT.