Airport land sale: I will not dance to someone's tune - Saarani

IPOH: "I will not dance to someone's tune," said Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad referring to several police reports lodged by politicians, including from the opposition camp, on the issue of the sale of land, previously identified to be developed as an international airport in Seri Iskandar.

Therefore, he has no plan to lodge a similar report to the authorities on the issue as a report has already been lodged to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

"At this stage, everyone wants to make a report to the authorities because they want the attention. I will not dance to someone's tune.

"We will leave it to the authorities to investigate and we believe and are confident that they will do so with transparency," he said after launching the Belia Perak Bertadarus programme and Sports Development Policy for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) at the Menteri Besar's Office in Bangunan Perak Darul Ridzuan here today.

Commenting further, Saarani said his office left it to the Perak Tengah District Council (MDPT) to make a decision to revoke the planning permission to a private company that bought the land through certain legal provisions and regulations.

"In this case, it is the president of MDPT who has the power to do so. We cannot arbitrarily decide the matter (to cancel the planning permission) which is against the rules and laws," he said.

Yesterday, four former Perak state executive councillors during the Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration, namely Pasir Pinji assemblyman Howard Lee Chuan How; Manjoi assemblyman Datuk Asmuni Awi; Sungai Rapat assemblyman Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin and Simpang Pulai assemblyman Tan Kar Hing lodged a report with the MACC on the issue.

State MACC director Datuk Mohd Fauzi Mohamad said his department was conducting an investigation following an official complaint received from Asmuni yesterday.

On Thursday (March 31), Saarani said the land, proposed to be developed as an international airport in Seri Iskandar here, was sold to a private company during the PH government administration because, during the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration, the land was reserved for Perak State Development Corporation (PKNP) for the purpose of building the airport.

On March 29, Aulong assemblyman Nga Kor Ming during the Perak State Assembly sitting claimed that the proposed land had been sold without permission of the state government and wanted those responsible for selling the land to be brought to justice.

-- BERNAMA