8 JANUARY 2019: PRESS STATEMENT BY MINISTER OF PRIMARY INDUSTRIES YB TERESA KOK ON DATO’ SRI MOHD NAJIB RAZAK’S REACTION TO THE REVELATION BY THE MINISTER ON THE DUBIOUS SALE OF MALAYSIAN RUBBER BOARD LAND IN SUNGAI BULOH WHICH WAS DIRECTED BY THE CABINET UNDER NAJIB
KUALA LUMPUR – Najib must respond to all the direct and pointed questions thrown at him pertaining to the dubious sale of the Malaysian Rubber Board (MRB) land at Sungai Buloh known as Lot 481.
This matter is serious and involved public money, both that of MRB and the Employees Provident Fund. The fact that he has remained evasive from the start and keeps “beating around the bush” when criticising the Government’s revelation of the sale transaction which was directed by the Cabinet under him, is a clear admission of “guilt”. It is simple in the eyes of the public, he refuses to provide the answers but instead deflects the issue. This is typical of Najib. It is a repeat and similar pattern of how he dealt with the many questions raised on 1MDB.
Anyone can see that a direct sale to EPF would have been most logical and would have benefited the poor and deserving contributors of EPF immensely. Why was Aset Tanah Nasional Berhad, a special purpose vehicle (SPV) by the Ministry of Finance of which Najib had control of was used to cream off almost RM800 million in this unwarranted sale? Why was EPF deprived of the discount?
ATNB is an incorporated company limited by guarantee, like many GLCs and unlike MOF and other government ministries, is not subject to very stringent financial restrictions. This is precisely why many GLCs have become the subject of investigations since Pakatan Harapan took over Government.
I regret that Najib has no remorse for the way he shortchanged and caused losses to MRB, but he still unconvincingly rebuts and defends his unscrupulous act shamelessly.
Teresa Kok
Minister of Primary Industries, Putrajaya
SOURCE : Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI)
-BERNAMA
