Johor DAP seek transparency over RM600m housing fund

JOHOR BARU: The police has been asked to investigate the Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Mohamed Khaled Nordin's announcement recently where the state government managed to secure RM600 million from developers for the Bumiputera Property Fund, which was then used to build more than 6,000 units of Johor affordable housing (RMMJ) project.
Johor Opposition chief Gan Peck Cheng who lodged a police report at Johor Baru Selatan police station (JBS) yesterday said the money was collected from the conversion of Bumi-lots into public units.
She said in a written reply to the state assembly dated April 2016, only 4,530 out of 16, 914 bumi-lots, comprising terrace houses, office-lots and factory-lots, have been converted to public units.
"We need to know details of the RM600 million. It must be made transparent," she added.
Several DAP state assemblymen - Andrew Chen Kah Eng (Stulang) , Yeo Tung Siong (Pekan NANAS) were also present at the press conference that was held near the JBS police station.
Khaled had recently said there was a policy to allow developers to release unsold Bumiputera housing units based on certain conditions, but was not applicable to the Rumah Mampu Milik Johor (RMMJ) scheme or affordable housing scheme.
He said the change of statuses and the release of Bumiputera quota units is allowed for luxury houses.
Since Feb 24, seven suspects, including the son and special officer to a state executive councillor were arrested for alleged involvement in the real estate corruption scandal that is believed to have caused the state government to lose tens of thousands of ringgit in potential housing revenue.
MACC froze RM15.5 million in 45 bank accounts and seized 21 luxury cars, five high-powered motorcycles and RM500,000 in local and foreign currencies.
According to MACC, the suspects may have converted the statuses of Bumiputera quota units into non-Bumiputera quota units in order to sell them at higher prices.