MACC opened one investigation paper on Defence Ministry land swap deals

PARLIAMENT | One investigation paper has been opened by MACC out of 16 reports lodged on the controversial land swap deals that caused the Defence Ministry to suffer a loss of RM515.21 million.

"The MACC has opened one investigation paper on the allegations involving land swap deals," said de facto Deputy Law Minister Mohamed Hanipa Maidin in a parliamentary reply.

He declined to divulge details of the investigation.

Hanipa said the 16 land swap projects, which took place between 1997 and 2018, were at different stages of implementation.

"Six projects had been completed, one project failed and another under construction; one in the condition precedent while seven obtained approval in principle," he said.

Hanipa was replying to Noor Amin Ahmad (Pakatan Harapan-Kangar) who asked the latest status of the 16 land swap deals which had caused huge losses to the government.

It was reported that Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu said the government had probed the suspicious land swap deals via Governance, Procure­ment and Finance Investigating Committee (GPFIC).

The deals involved 1,186 hectares of Defence Ministry land valued at RM4.75 billion with project costs of RM4.88 billion.

The ministry lodged two reports on army camps in Paloh, Johor and Hutan Melintang, Perak in February.

On May 17, the ministry lodged reports on the remaining 14 land swap deals.

The land swap deal report tabled in Parliament on May 9, found the involvement of former prime ministers and defence ministers in 13 land swap deals.

These projects were found to have approved due to political consideration and national interests.