Land transfer: Puad admits April 12 jab at Dr M based on 'unclear' reports

Summary

• Puad concedes his initial April 12 statement accusing Mahathir of refusing to return Umno land was based on ‘unclear’ news reports.

• He says while Mahathir had signed off on the transfer of the plot the ex-PM was holding in trust for the party in 2015, it was rejected 2 years later due to unmatching names on the grant and IC.

Umno supreme council member Puad Zarkashi has admitted that his initial April 12 statement accusing former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad of refusing to return the party’s property was based on “unclear” news reports.

In a Facebook post, Puad conceded that Mahathir had in 2015 signed off on the transfer of a 0.97ha plot of land that he was holding in trust for the party.

“But in 2017, the Federal Territory Land and Mines Office (PTGKL) rejected it on the grounds that the name on the land grant did not match the name on the identity card.

“For example, the trustee listed on the grant was Daim Zainuddin, but the name on the IC was Che Abdul Daim Bin Haji Zainuddin.

“This also involved the use of honorific titles in Tun M’s name,” said Puad.

He added that the political climate made it difficult to obtain a statutory declaration (SD) from the individual involved to confirm that they are the same person.

“Therefore, Umno took legal action against the Federal Territory Land and Mines Office on the grounds that it was the office’s mistake,” said Puad.

Dr M calls it slander

On Tuesday, Mahathir decried “slander” after being accused of refusing to sign off on the transfer of Umno land, as he and the other three trustees - Daim, Sanusi Junid, and Musa Hitam - had done so in 2015, before it was rejected two years later. Daim and Sanusi have since passed away.

Mahathir also suggested that the Umno leaders accusing him of obstructing the transfer process did not read the legal papers filed by the party’s executive secretary Sumali Reduan.

On April 10, Bernama reported that Umno was suing the Registrar of the Federal Territory Land and Mines Office to compel it to execute the transfer of the land to Umno.

A day later, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi claimed one of the trustees was refusing to relinquish the land to the party even though other trustees had done so, and Puad subsequently took a jab at Mahathir.

The plot is located at Lot 40, Section 51, Kuala Lumpur which is occupied by Seri Pacific Hotel. It is adjacent to the Kuala Lumpur World Trade Centre and Menara Dato’ Onn, which houses Umno’s headquarters.

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