Zahid lauds Dr M for cooperating on Umno land issue

Summary

• Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi lauds former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad for cooperating with the party on a land issue.

• He says if Mahathir is sincere about signing over the land to the party, then technical issues can be fixed.

• Mahathir earlier said he and the other trustees of the land approved the transfer, but the application was rejected on technical grounds.

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi expressed appreciation to former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad for cooperating with the party over a land matter.

“It would be good if it is true that he has signed the transfer of ownership, and if he is sincere, of course, if there are some technical issues... it can be fixed,” he said.

The deputy prime minister also pointed out that he had not named any names in his earlier statement, which alleged one of the trustees was refusing to relinquish the land to the party despite other trustees having done so.

Zahid was speaking to reporters after attending an event with Orang Asli in Kampung Sungai Keroh Dalam, Perak.

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

On April 17, Mahathir, a former Umno president himself, said all four trustees had signed a statutory declaration in 2015 to facilitate the application to transfer the land to the party, but the application had been rejected on technical grounds.

He demanded an apology from Zahid and party supreme council member Puad Zarkashi, saying the pair’s statements on the land issue were slanderous.

Puad claimed that Mahathir was the trustee Zahid was speaking of.

The 99-year-old 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.

Puad conceded he was mistaken after Mahathir’s rebuke and blamed it on “unclear” media reports.

Dr M demands Puad's apology over Umno land transfer accusation

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

Dr M decries 'slander' over Seri Pacific land transfer to Umno

Trustee refusing to sign over KL land to Umno, Zahid says

Umno files action seeking transfer of land from Dr M, three others