PKR central committee member R Sivarasa has threatened legal action against Umno incumbent Kuala Selangor MP Irmohizam Ibrahim over the latter’s allegations on the Ijok land issue.

In a statement, Sivarasa claimed Irmohizam had defamed his law firm, Daim & Gamany, with allegations that it had benefited from being appointed to represent a new 16-member settlers committee, without knowledge of an existing committee set up during Abdul Khalid Ibrahim’s tenure as Selangor menteri besar.

"I will be instructing solicitors to issue to Irmohizam next week to issue a letter to demand retraction of these defamatory statements, apologise and pay damages.

"In the event he refuses, a legal suit for defamation will be filed immediately.

"The settlers' committee will also be seeking legal advice on their remedies against him," Sivarasa said in a statement today.

Irmohizam had on Friday alleged a possible "conflict of interest" in the RM1.18 billion settlement reached between Ijok settlers and two private developers in 2015, facilitated by the current caretaker Selangor administration under PKR deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali.

He said this followed the reported arrests of two members of the new settlers committee, who were suspected of receiving bribes pertaining to the Mutiara Alam and Alam Utama abandoned projects in Ijok.

Irmohizam claimed there was a possible conflict of interest over Sivarasa's appointment due to his personal ties with PKR, and the two developers' alleged links with the PKR-led state government.

Sivarasa, however, denied Irmohizam's claims.

"In the negotiations to settle the balance compensation and get the best possible houses for the settlers, I had insisted that the settlers should not be burdened by any payment of a single further sen in this entire process.

"Irmohizam should know that the payment of legal fees therefore was a contractual obligation of the landowners inked in agreements and cannot be said to compromise our position as advisors to the settlers," he said.

The two companies – LBCN Development Sdn Bhd and Mujur Zaman Sdn Bhd – were involved in a tussle over the 2,200-acre land with Khalid's administration.

Two earlier court decisions, in the High Court and the Court of Appeal, had ruled for the Selangor government.

Following negotiations, the two companies and Azmin's administration agreed to drop all suits against each other, in exchange for the state government keeping the land it had won in court and for the settlers to be compensated in full.

'Reckless about facts'

Sivarasa, meanwhile, also dismissed Irmohizam's claim that the 16-member settlers committee led by Umar Ali Bashah, who appointed his firm to represent them, was only formed during Azmin's time as menteri besar.

"He (Irmohizam) is completely reckless about his facts.

"His allegation that Umar's committee was formed only in 2014 after the removal of Khalid as menteri besar is completely false.

"Transparent balloting was done in August 2016, and the allocation of end lots to the 16 committee members was announced and endorsed publicly by the hundreds of settlers present at that gathering," he said.

Sivarasa also denied Irmohizam's claims that the committee members were allocated larger corner lot houses without a transparent balloting process.

Umar Ali had during a press conference with Ijok settlers last month said that he had led a committee to engage with the state government since 2008, when the then Pakatan Rakyat federal opposition pact first took over Selangor and appointed Khalid as menteri besar.

Umar Ali had said Khalid made the settlers a settlement offer in 2014, which they rejected, as they could not afford to pay RM70,000 for a house valued at RM250,000.

Subsequently, he said the settlers then began to engage with Khalid’s successor Azmin, and eventually accepted the settlement of RM180,000 in cash, along with houses now worth at least RM400,000.