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Media statement by Lim Guan Eng in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, 24th July 2012: Dato Seri Najib should direct UMNO Penang Deputy Chairman and Penang BN General Elections Director to return his profit made to 31 Malay landowners Prime Minister Dato Seri Najib Tun Razak should direct UMNO Penang Deputy Chairman Dato Musa bin Haji Sheikh Fadzir and Penang BN 13th General Election Director Dato Omar Haji Faudzar to return the RM 5 million profit as land brokers or 57 % profit made in 3.5 months to the 31 Malay landowners in Kampung Terang, Balik Pulau in Penang. Whilst both UMNO leaders have not done anything illegal, it is immoral and unprincipled for them to claim to defend Malay land rights from being eroded and yet at the same time act as land brokers to sell away Malay land for personal profit at the expense of these Malay landowners. Last week, Penang State Assembly Speaker Datuk Abdul Halim Hussain had exposed this land profiteering scandal by these two UMNO leaders of nearly 10 acres of land Kampung Terang, Balik Pulau on 31 Malay landowners in Penang:-
In other words, Maison Heights Sdn Bhd or Dato Musa and Dato Omar both earned nearly RM 5 million from the land transaction in only 3.5 months. This RM 5 million profit out of an initial investment of RM 8.6 million represents a 57% profit margin in only 3.5 months – a remarkable profitable return in such short time. Is this how UMNO leaders defend the rights of Malays - by profiting and benefiting at their expense? Up to now both had not explained how the RM5.7 million profit they earned would benefit the 31 Malay landowners. Previously, both UMNO leaders had criticised the state government for trying to take Malay land to chase out the Malays from Penang. UMNO had also criticised the state government for wanting to acquire 100 acres of land in another site in Balik Pulau for education purposes in building the Asian Women Leadership University(AWLU). The Penang state government had been subjected to such racist attacks by UMNO even though 60% of the land is non-Malay and 40% Malay. AWLU was approved by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyidin Yassin in 10 February 2012 as a key educational project for transforming Pmalaysia into a high-income economy. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Dato Seri Idris Jala had on 12 June 2012 had requested the state government to initiate transfer of 100 acres of land to AWLU. The Penang state government had supported this initiative of setting up the first women's university in Malaysia, as it will be run by Smith College, the top women's university in USA. After the state government managed to persuade AWLU to choose another site, the land acquisition was called off. This has not only disabled UMNO's racist attacks but also proves that the state government only acquires land for public purpose and only when there is a credible proposal from a reliable institution. At the same time, the expose of land profiteering scandal involving UMNO leaders at the expense of ordinary Malay landowners proves UMNO's hypocrisy in saying one thing of defending the Malays but doing another in selling out their rights. Clearly it is not the Penang PR state government but UMNO leaders such as Dato Musa and Dato Omar who are selling out Malay land. Najib should salvage UMNO’s credibility by directing both of these UMNO leaders to return to RM5 million profits back to the 31 Malay landowners. If both of them are genunine land brokers, they are entitled to the prevailing market commission rate of 2% or only RM 270,000 and not RM 5 million which works out to an astronomical 57% commission rate! *Lim Guan Eng, Penang Chief Minister
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