Hisham welcomes PAC probe, wants it extended to cover Dr M’s first term

Former defence minister Hishammuddin Hussein has welcomed the Public Accounts Committee's move to probe several land swap deals involving his former ministry.

"Good. Do it. I’ve got nothing to hide," he told the media at Parliament lobby today.

Hishammuddin, however, urged the PAC not to be selective in its investigation.

"They have to be fair and investigate the land swap deal (all the) way from the beginning, and that was during the time of Dr Mahathir Mohamad as the (fourth) prime minister (from 1981 to 2003)," he said.

Hishammuddin's successor Mohamad Sabu had previously disclosed that land swap deals involving the Defence Ministry resulted in losses and leakages of over RM500 million.

Read more: Hisham: Harapan's problems more than just poor communication

Malaysiakini has learned that the losses and leakages occurred through 16 projects dating as far back as 1997.

Former auditor-general Ambrin Buang, who headed the special investigation committee on procurement and governance that furnished the Defence Ministry with details of the land swaps, is due to meet the PAC this evening.

PAC deputy chairperson Wong Kah Woh confirmed the meeting, and dismissed the concerns of selective investigations raised by Hishammuddin.

"We believe that Amrin, in his briefing with PAC, will provide us all the details of the land swaps, from A to Z," he said.

"It is not just the land swap in Paloh and Sembrong, but also other plots of land and army camps," he said. 

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