KUCHING: The Chief Minister’s Office has denied the allegation made by Padungan Assemblyman Wong King Wei regarding the alienation of 22 parcels of land in Lundu and said it is “highly questionable”, ill-founded and malicious in its intention.
In a statement issued here yesterday, it clarified the 22 parcels of land in Lundu as quoted by Wong were approved for alienation on September 3, 2009 as part of “payment-in-kind” for The Design, Construction and Completion of Bridges in Sarawak.
“At the relevant time when approval was given, the incumbent (of Tanjung Datu seat, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem) was not yet the Chief Minister of Sarawak and was not responsible for matters related to land.”
The statement was issued in response to an article in Malaysiakini titled “Has Adenan gone back to old ways of giving out cheap lands”.
The Chief Minister’s Office also mentioned that in accordance to 2009’s approval, the Land and Survey issued Provisional Leases over those land with agriculture as the approved land use on March 17, 2004.
At the same time and in view of the approved use, premium was charged based on existing circular directives (Land Administration Circular No. 4/1993 and No. 3/2000), where for agriculture land of size below 100 acres, the premium charged is RM200 per acre, while for agriculture land of size 100 acres or more, the premium charged is RM300 per acre.
It is to be noted that out of the total of 22 parcels of subject land, 17 parcels are of size below 100 acres each, added the statement.
As such, the alienation of those lands were done in strict adherence to existing procedure and practices.
“As for the rate of premium that had been in use by the Land and Survey Department, this may be reviewed from time to time, depending on need.
“Hence, to say that the alienation of land here is “highly questionable”, is not only ill-founded but malicious in its intention,” the statement ended.
Wong, who is also DAP Sarawak publicity secretary, had claimed the alienation of land was done under Adenan’s administration, and it was ‘ highly questionable’.-Borneo Post
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