PKR marks Ropiaah's land in symbolic move to block deal
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In a symbolic move of their commitment to block a controversial land deal in Bukit Raja involving Selangor Umno Wanita chief Raja Ropiaah Raja Abdullah, Wanita PKR today paid a visit to the site, armed with a hammer and signboards.
Led by Wanita PKR chief Zuraida Kamaruddin, the group planted a signboard on one of three plots of the land supposedly owned by Raja Ropiaah.
It reads: ‘Property of the Federal Land Commission: Trespassers will be prosecuted’.
The federal government had granted the land to Raja Ropiaah’s company Awan Megah Sdn Bhd as partial payment for it to construct the National Defence Training Centre (Puspahanas) for the Defence Ministry.
However, the Puspahanas project remains incomplete but the plots in Bukit Raja became mired in controversy after Raja Ropiaah allegedly sold them to two different parties, including businessperson Deepak Jaikishan.
All this was despite the land being yet to be released by the Federal Land Commission to Raja Ropiaah.
In another surprise development, the Defence Ministry’s Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera (LTAT)-owned Boustead Holdings Bhd announced December last year that it would purchase the Bukit Raja land from Raja Ropiaah.
“Right now the land is still with the government under the Federal Land Commission, so the government is trying to buy land that it already has. This is just for Raja Ropiaah to make easy money,” said Kota Raja MP Siti Mariah Mahmud, who was also present at the site.
The Pakatan Rakyat-led Selangor government had vowed that it would not allow the LTAT deal with Raja Ropiaah to go through as it would require the state’s approval.
'Land strategically located'
Klang municipal councillor Norain Eusoff, who was also at the scene, said the size of the land was 81 acres. Another 97 acres was sited north of it.
"But there is another 45 acres and we are not sure where it exactly is. We will continue checking, but we are sure is very nearby. So, the total is 233 acres," Norian (left) said.
The land stands directly in the middle of the Klang and Shah Alam municipal border, she said, with this site coming under the jurisdiction of the Klang municipality, while a Toyota factory adjacent to it falls under Shah Alam.
To the east of the 81-acre plot are the booming townships of Desa Alam and Cahaya Alam, mostly comprising double-storey houses. The Maz International School is about 2km away from the land.
The site is also about 5km from i-City and Universiti Selangor (Unisel), with several shophouses and apartments under construction around the area. The New Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE) cuts through the area.
Zuraida, who is also Ampang MP, estimates the value of the land at RM380 million, if it is converted to residential status.
"The value can run into more than a billion ringgit if it is developed," she said.
However, Zuraida said, the Selangor government would not allow any such conversion, pointing out that the land was initially earmarked for a military camp and would remain so, regardless of the ongoing land deal.
She repeated her call to Raja Ropiaah to come clean on the matter, claiming that the Umno Wanita leader's company was not qualified to handle the Puspahanas project and it therefore should not receive the 223-acre land.
"Is this the new trend of Umno Wanita? The last time Shahrizat Abdul Jalil was a senator, she was embroiled the in the cow (National Feedlot Corporation) scandal. Now that Raja Ropiaah has replaced her as senator, a land scandal has emerged," Zuraida said.
VIDEO l 2.29 mins
Led by Wanita PKR chief Zuraida Kamaruddin, the group planted a signboard on one of three plots of the land supposedly owned by Raja Ropiaah.It reads: ‘Property of the Federal Land Commission: Trespassers will be prosecuted’.
The federal government had granted the land to Raja Ropiaah’s company Awan Megah Sdn Bhd as partial payment for it to construct the National Defence Training Centre (Puspahanas) for the Defence Ministry.
However, the Puspahanas project remains incomplete but the plots in Bukit Raja became mired in controversy after Raja Ropiaah allegedly sold them to two different parties, including businessperson Deepak Jaikishan.All this was despite the land being yet to be released by the Federal Land Commission to Raja Ropiaah.
In another surprise development, the Defence Ministry’s Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera (LTAT)-owned Boustead Holdings Bhd announced December last year that it would purchase the Bukit Raja land from Raja Ropiaah.
“Right now the land is still with the government under the Federal Land Commission, so the government is trying to buy land that it already has. This is just for Raja Ropiaah to make easy money,” said Kota Raja MP Siti Mariah Mahmud, who was also present at the site.
The Pakatan Rakyat-led Selangor government had vowed that it would not allow the LTAT deal with Raja Ropiaah to go through as it would require the state’s approval.
'Land strategically located'
Klang municipal councillor Norain Eusoff, who was also at the scene, said the size of the land was 81 acres. Another 97 acres was sited north of it.
"But there is another 45 acres and we are not sure where it exactly is. We will continue checking, but we are sure is very nearby. So, the total is 233 acres," Norian (left) said.The land stands directly in the middle of the Klang and Shah Alam municipal border, she said, with this site coming under the jurisdiction of the Klang municipality, while a Toyota factory adjacent to it falls under Shah Alam.
To the east of the 81-acre plot are the booming townships of Desa Alam and Cahaya Alam, mostly comprising double-storey houses. The Maz International School is about 2km away from the land.
The site is also about 5km from i-City and Universiti Selangor (Unisel), with several shophouses and apartments under construction around the area. The New Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE) cuts through the area.
Zuraida, who is also Ampang MP, estimates the value of the land at RM380 million, if it is converted to residential status.
"The value can run into more than a billion ringgit if it is developed," she said.
However, Zuraida said, the Selangor government would not allow any such conversion, pointing out that the land was initially earmarked for a military camp and would remain so, regardless of the ongoing land deal.
She repeated her call to Raja Ropiaah to come clean on the matter, claiming that the Umno Wanita leader's company was not qualified to handle the Puspahanas project and it therefore should not receive the 223-acre land.
"Is this the new trend of Umno Wanita? The last time Shahrizat Abdul Jalil was a senator, she was embroiled the in the cow (National Feedlot Corporation) scandal. Now that Raja Ropiaah has replaced her as senator, a land scandal has emerged," Zuraida said.
VIDEO l 2.29 mins
