By LYDIA NATHAN / Pic By MUHD AMIN NAHARUL

Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) planning ED Datuk Mohd Najib Mohd maintained that the 64 land plots sold under the purview of former Federal Territories’ (FT) Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor were done according to procedure.

According to Mohd Najib, this is not the first time an investigation is being conducted by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

“Tuesday’s collection of documents carried out by the MACC was not really a raid. We are very transparent. I can confirm the documents collected were in regard to the 64 land deals,” he told reporters in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

Mohd Najib said the investigation is ongoing and the MACC will summon DBKL officers as and when required.

On whether DBKL was aware of the land deals being conducted without open tenders, he declined to comment, instead saying DBKL has always had specific procedures to adhere to when phasing out or putting up land for sale.

“I can say it was done according to the procedures we have,” he said.

Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng said although he was glad the raid had taken place, but he questioned the delay in actually doing so.

“I understand that MACC is also shorthanded with everything else that is going on, especially in regard to the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal, however, it is better late than never,” he said.

According to Lim, the 64 land deals turned out to be a scam, and that Tengku Adnan is a person of interest behind it.

“The mayor has continuously said he will fully cooperate with the MACC and has not denied or commented on whether he knew what was going on. I trust the MACC will do their jobs, “ he said.

Thus far, Tengku Adnan had only come out with a statement on the sale of the Taman Rimba Kiara land in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Lim said.

Tengku Adnan was recently quoted as saying that the land sale had nothing to do with the FT Foundation, which Lim said was false.

“I believe that good governance is not about making money. The 64 pieces of land were sold for profit because it was sold without open tender. Who approved it? Who said the prices were justifiable? Those are my concerns.”

Lim said his office has also lodged a complaint to the Royal Malaysian Customs Department in regard to a private contractor, Vista Summerose Sdn Bhd.

The private contractor had previously received a deal from DBKL to clamp some 1,000 vehicles per day.

Lim said Vista Summerose had been collecting the Goods and Services Tax (GST) before June 1, 2018, and had said that they would absorb the cost.

“This group collects fees from about 40,000 parking spots, it is a lucrative amount. I want Customs to investigate if they have been paying GST all this time,” Lim said.

Meanwhile, Mohd Najib has given a property developer two weeks to enhance its safety measures for the construction of a high-end condominium project in Taman Metropolitan, Kepong.

He said joggers in the park adjacent to the development site had filed complaints with regards to safety, and he expects the developer to follow the strict conditions imposed.

The six residential blocks featuring 2,986 units are slated for completion in the first quarter of next year.