Did political interests influence land swap locations for votes?

Question

Accepted Answer

Political Interests Influenced Land Swap Locations for Votes

The National Patriots Association (Patriot) has asserted that political interests significantly influenced the selection of land swap locations, aiming to secure votes for Barisan Nasional (BN) politicians. These specific locations were allegedly chosen to benefit BN politicians in four electoral areas: Hutan Melintang, Perak; Segamat and Paloh, Johor; and Bera, Pahang. Patriot president Brig-Jen (Rtd) Datuk Mohamed Arshad Raji stated that there was "outrageous interference for political interest" in this selection process.
Land Swap Locations Chosen for Electoral Gain

According to Patriot, the locations for the Defence Ministry's land swap deals were not selected based on strategic military needs but rather to assist BN politicians in winning votes. Specific areas identified include Hutan Melintang in Perak, Segamat and Paloh in Johor, and Bera in Pahang. The association claims these choices were driven by a desire to bolster electoral support for BN candidates in these constituencies.
Criticism of Former Defence Minister's Stance

Patriot has called on former defence minister Datuk Hishammuddin Hussein to assume responsibility for the land swap fiasco that occurred during his tenure. The association criticised Hishammuddin's challenge to the current Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu and his deputy Liew Chin Tong to reveal if he personally profited from these deals. Patriot described this as a "laughable attempt to deflect guilt" and a way to "put a veil over one’s guilt."
Allegations of Discrepancies and Losses

The land swap deals, as reported by the Defence Ministry, have been associated with numerous discrepancies. These include the sale of land below market value and the awarding of projects to unqualified developers, resulting in alleged losses exceeding RM500 million. Patriot has urged swift investigations into all defence ministers who served between 1997 and May 2018, advocating for accountability for any officials found to have failed in ensuring adherence to Standard Operating Procedures during these transactions.

Reading history

Hide →

This history is cleared when the page is closed.

Did political interests influence land swap locations for votes?

Loading

Was this article helpful?

Helpful

Not helpful

Report an issue

1

0

0

Share with friends