Bumi quota row in Kedah: BN leader reveals proof

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 15:59

By Teoh El Sen

PETALING JAYA: A Barisan Nasional leader has documentary evidence to prove that the Pakatan Rakyat-led Kedah government had sidestepped the truth in relation to the Bumiputera housing quota.

However, Kedah Gerakan Youth chief Tan Keng Liang was adamant on not using the term “lied”, saying that he was just surprised over Menteri Besar Azizan Abdul Razak's denial and ignorance.

The state government had denied that it had increased the Bumiputera housing quota from 50% to 70% but Tan's documents showed otherwise.

According to the documents, the state stipulated as a condition for approving housing applications that 70% of housing development be reserved for Malays and also to gazette "Bumi lots" as “Malay Reserve Land”.

"The three letters (sent by the Land and Mines Office) clearly showed that the above (policies) were approved by the exco on May 26 this year,” Tan said in a press statement.

“It is surprising that the menteri besar is not aware of the exco's decision,” he added.

The Kedah government first came under fire when it increased the original 30% quota policy for housing projects to 50% when PAS came to power after the 2008 election.

Following objections, the government subsequently announced in December last year that it would defer the policy but now it had purportedly increased the quota to 70%.

Yesterday, Azizan said that state exco never increased the quota. "The 50% Bumiputera quota for housing projects on swapped land still stands,” he told the press.

'There is a political agenda'

Tan, who claimed that these cases were mostly in Alor Setar, alleged that this might be an attempt to increase the Malay Reserve Land in Kedah.

"Are they trying to increase the Malay reserve? What else is there for the non-Bumis to buy in Alor Setar if this continues? I believe they have a political agenda for doing this," he said.

Kedah Gerakan Youth had submitted a memorandum last week to the menteri besar, urging the latter to respect Article 89 of the Federal Constitution and fulfil the pledge to stop the increase of the Bumiputera quota.

Tan said Article 98(2) of the Federal Constitution ensured that for any undeveloped land that was being gazetted as Malay Reserve Land, an equal portion of non-Malay Reserve Land must be swapped for it.

"There is no reduction of Malay reserve land under the swapping process as an equivalent size of land (plus 5% additional area) would be entered into Malay Reserve land,” he added.

Tan said under Kedah's land laws, the state exco could decide whether to open up Bumi lots to the public if the land failed to attract enough buyers.

"That is rarely done. But now that they want to convert these to Malay Reserve land, it would effectively kill off this release mechanism and there would be no way out," he said, estimating that about 90% of land in Alor Setar town was under Malay Reserve.