A screengrab of the TikTok video by Abun Sui.
MIRI (Nov 26): Miri City Council (MCC) in a press statement yesterday said land acquisition for the construction of the newly completed Miri City Hall was done through proper procurement.
The council issued this statement in response to a TikTok video made by Abun Sui Anyit from Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Sarawak, recently.
In the video, Abun alleged that the land where the Miri City Hall stands, initially belonged to the government but was later sold at very low price to a private party. He further alleged that the government then bought back the land from the private party for RM22 million.
“Miri City Council wishes to clarify the inaccurate comments made by Abun Sui Anyit from PKR Sarawak through the use of TikTok video clip, concerning high cost incurred in land acquisition for the construction of Miri City Hall at Marina Bay, here.
“The idea of having its own city hall was actually mooted as early as 2004 when the council was chartering its vision to achieve city status by year 2005.
“In this respect, the sitting of the city hall at the proposed Marina ParkCity development was also proposed and agreed upon,” said the statement.
MCC added that the parcel of land known as Lot 2407, Block 9, MCLD, consists of an area of 3.22 acres (13,053.93 sq metres) and not 2 acres as alleged. It is part and parcel of the land reclamation programme undertaken by a private developer.
“The earth-breaking ceremony on the reclaimed land for the proposed construction of Miri City Hall was officiated at by the then chief minister Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud on May 22, 2010.
“Miri City Council would like to categorically point out that the development of the city hall is being implemented through proper channel of government procurement procedures, including the land acquisition of the land, which has similarly gone through proper process of land rating and valuation,” concluded the statement.