There is nothing worse than robbing poor people’s lands. And that is what PR Selangor government is doing as how its Chief Minister keep on insisting to steal lands owned by Permodalan YBK (PYBK), a subsidiary company under the Foundation for Poverty Eradication (YBK) worth 1,625 acres at Serendah, Hulu Selangor. 218 acres from the whole land was proposed to be used to build the base for UiTM project.
PR Selangor’s excuse to take over the land is merely because as if no land tax were paid.
However, court decision which goes to PYBK yesterday has proven that land tax with the amount of RM1.280 million was pard on August 31, 2009 (first payment) to fultil the application requirement on Planning Permission to the Selangor State Government.
And outstanding tax was then paid on February 2, 2010 through Melaka Foundation (second payment).
But, what happened were:
i)The first payment was returned without any reason that even Notice 6A was not given for the land.
ii) Second payment was returned with the excuse that the payment cannot be made via third party, Melaka Foundation.
The action of state government in returning all of the payments showed that they do have the intention to take over the land owned by PYBK. This is because third or fourth party should not have been part of the matter if this is about ‘unpaid land tax’.
Thus, the question here is, what are the motives for PR Selangor to take over this land?
YBK’s Chairman, Datuk Zainal Abidin Sakom confirmed that the land owned by the company do have its grant and premium tax since it was taken over in 1997 which has been explained. So, if the state government want to have the land, it would have to go through the land acquisition process according to the law.
According to early reports, Selangor’s Chief Minister, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim insisted in taking over the 526 hectare land worth RM540 million at Serendah, Rawang, owned by YBK becausethe Foundation refused to allow the state government to intervene in its operations and administration.
State Executive Council’s meeting on October 20 had set that the Chief Minister would need to be appointed as YBK’s Chairman, while another one of state government’s representative would be appointed as a member for the Board of Directors under welfare portfolio, but they did not receive any positive feed backs from the foundation.
Once again, what are the motives for PR Selangor that they really want to intervene with the operations and administration of YBK? If it is because they want to observe the company’s financial status to ensure that the poor are protected, that is simply unacceptable because YBK has always been transparent and its existence has been proven to be a benefit to all.
Besides, people of Selangor who has been ‘close’ with welfare programs would definitely know how PR Selangor had stopped regular contributions which has been budgeted to a few orphanage homes around the state by BN Government. No excuse were given on why they stop those contributions. Thus, using the excuse that they want to maintain welfare for poor people is simply unacceptable.
Generally, building UiTM and other programs which involves the poor by PYBK usually targets the Malays. That is why PR does not agree with it because they believe in equal rights. DAP definitely has been pressuring Khalid Ibrahim to ensure all projects for bumiputera would be stopped.
Moreover, as a person with a corporate background which often focuses on profit, Khalid Ibrahim himself would not be interested with welfare ‘projects’ which PYBK is running, when the fact is that the land would bring even more benefit if commercial areas or luxury houses are to be developed.
The real issue behind this matter only showed how PR do not really do as they say. Their ‘Demi Rakyat’ (For People) slogan is only meant for those who are rich, Chinese, corporate people or successful business owners. The poor who cannot afford to pay their taxes and do not profit the state are simply ignored. With that, only then PR could prove their ‘agility’ in managing a state, where the result only comes in forms of profit and annual income.
With that, people would need to be reminded that if PR remain in Selangor, it is not impossible that the poor and middle income people (majority Malays) would need to go back to their hometown like what was chanted by DAP during the May 13th tragedy.
