Former Sepanggar MP lodges MACC report against Musa over land deals

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Jumat (seated left) addresses the media together with Azhar.

KOTA KINABALU: Former Sepanggar MP Datuk Jumat Idris has lodged a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) urging it to look into the alleged land corruption deals of former chief minister Tan Sri Musa Aman.

Jumat said he had submitted the report last month and that the report included several supporting documents.

He made the statement when reporters asked him about a posting made on the social media, whereby he announced that he would reveal all the alleged land corruption deals done by Musa.

“We have started doing the report. For your information, we have identified numerous lands that have been applied for by Tan Sri Musa Aman’s relatives. For example, a piece of land near the Rampayan traffic light, which covered an area of seven hectares and was given to one of Musa’s relatives.

“There was another five acres of land, near Likas Square, which was also given to Musa’s relative. This area is supposed to be a state reserve and not a state land,” Jumat revealed, adding that he had all the documents with him.

He compared this issue to a similar one, which had happened to former deputy chief minister Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan, whereby the latter had been fined RM1,800 for approving a land to one of his in-laws.

Jumat, who was met at his residence for a breaking-of-fast event on Wednesday claimed that there were land alienation issues at Bonggaya Forest Reserve.

He further alleged that the Bonggaya Forest Reserve initially belonged to Yayasan Sabah (Sabah Foundation) but the status of the forest reserve was then changed to a state land.

“After it was changed into a state land, it was alleged that there had been individuals and companies who had fully planted palm trees, covering an area of 40,000 acres.

“We want to know these individuals and companies who were given the privilege to plant the 40,000 acres with palm trees,we want to know the details of the companies and individuals,” he said.

When asked whether he was still interested in rejoining Umno, Jumat sternly answered that he was no longer interested in doing so and would instead be joining Warisan soon.

He said he wanted to go for a local-based party, in line with the needs of the local communities.

Jumat was suspended from Umno in 2015 for criticising Musa.

He has been ‘party-less’ since then, despite several attempts to reinstate his membership.

He was one of the Umno members who had visited Warisan president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal’s residence in the aftermath of the polling day on May 9.

When asked whether he intended to use Warisan as a stepping stone for him to be selected as a candidate in the next election, Jumat said, he would rather give the opportunity to the younger leaders.

Also present at the event was Karambunai assemblyman Azhar Matussin.