Johor Sultan refutes claims he sold state land

JOHOR BARU — Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar has rejected claims that he sold off state land, saying that people who believe such claims are as good as having “committed treason”.

He also said he did not support the normal practice of paying a RM1 (S$0.32) token sum for state land and instead overpaid the state government by over RM200 million (S$63.3 million) for a plot of land in Tanjung Puteri near the Causeway.

“It is true in Tanjung Puteri there were two endorsements for two companies or individuals with a premium of RM1. The land was valued at less than RM100 million, but I paid RM300 million. I overpaid. Nobody knew. Ask the land office. I did not take the land for free and sell it,” Sultan Ibrahim said in an interview with the New Straits Times.

Saying that he established a joint venture and made profits, the southern state ruler added: “Don’t be jealous with the profits I made, I have never sold any land.”

He pointed out that the state government also benefited when land was bought, as it would be able to collect taxes in the form of assessments and rent, while job opportunities and retail investment would be created.

“Look at these things instead of the negative things,” Sultan Ibrahim said.

Rejecting claims that his state was giving away Malaysian citizenships, the Johor ruler told his critics to query the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) national policy.

The international residency programme was first introduced by former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad in 2002.

The Forest City mega project in Johor has courted controversy with Dr Mahathir saying that the investment in the mixed development project is a threat to Malaysian sovereignty. He claimed that 700,000 Chinese would get citizenship by buying property in Forest City.

Forest City is a US$100 billion (S$140 billion) property development by Chinese firm Country Garden and it is expected to be completed in 30 years.

Sultan Ibrahim clarified that the land for the project to be built on four reclaimed islands is owned by the developer. “The freehold is actually the strata, not for the land. The company owns the freehold land, not the buyers,” he said.

The ruler has also likened Johoreans who were influenced by a claim that he had sold land for the mega-project as committing treason.

“All my hard work, my love, my efforts in visiting the districts every year, if this is what they show me, it is like they have committed treason.”

Sultan Ibrahim also told those from outside Johor, whether in politics or otherwise, not to interfere in the state’s matters, saying he knew what was best for his people. AGENCIES