Deep Scandal in Selangor: Ronnie Liu Speaks Out about Bukit Lagong

Press Statement by Ronnie Liu after his resignation from DAP

Ronnie Liu, one of the reformasi generation of the DAP has found the party untenable. The following is his press statement made on the 8th September 2022. I understand there are more issues to come. Ronnie Liu’s former colleagues have to date been totally silent about his resignation from the party.

*Ronnie Liu Tian Khiew*

State Assemblyman 

DUN Sungai Pelek

+60 12-201 3656

*Press Statement*

Date: 08 October 2022 

*Open Letter to Azam Baki on Bukit Lagong*

The issue of Bukit Lagong and Bukit Cerakah is no longer one man’s fight. 

I will touch on Bukit Lagong issue here. Over the months, several non-governmental organisations and even the backbenchers in the Selangor State Government have harped on the cloud of secrecy over the parcelling of a total of 887 hectares of the state forest reserve to 27 companies. 

Otai Reformasi 1998 has also lodged an official report to the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Agency (MACC) regarding the possibility of abuse of Menteri Besar’s powers.

This is about checks-and-balances within the state controlled by Pakatan Harapan. In Selangor, the Opposition is weak, and the onus is on the backbenchers to ensure that our Menteri Besar is accountable to the people. 

If there is an element of corruption, we will not hesitate to lodge a report to the MACC as Pakatan Harapan as a whole cannot tolerate corruption. The country cannot continue suffer when politicians, regardless of political party they belong to, choose the path of corruption.

Based on a very comprehensive information provided by the Otai Reformis to the MACC, there is already sufficient evidence that the issuance of 27 ‘Lesen Kecil’ (small licenses) by the Menteri Besar Incorporated (MBI). 

As a state assemblyman of Selangor, I am prepared to provide you and the MACC with more information so that the MACC and the Attorney-General’s Office will not have any excuse not to charge the parties concerned.

Azmin Ali implicated

I wish to remind to you, Tan Sri, that in the past, despite MACC reports being lodged against Azmin, he appears to have some form of “immunity.” If nothing is done, you would have to be prepared to face the people. 

(1) Although the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) was enacted since 2011, the Selangor State Government continues to use the Official Secrets Act (OSA) to hide information related to the Bukit Lagong Forest Reserve, when Abdul Razak Ismail in his capacity as secretary of Otai Reformasi wrote to the state for more information.

(2) In the state assembly, we were only given the list of eight companies that were issued the small licenses, but the names of the other 19 companies were hidden away from the public view. This is clearly the Menteri Besar’s attempt to hide the identity of the 19 other companies. There are no security issues, because information of the companies are easily available in the public domain. 

What is the reason why Menteri Besar Selangor is hiding the identity of the 19 companies which were given the quarry land?  

(3) The use of ‘small licenses’ is nothing but an attempt to circumvent the 25-year moratorium from 2010 to 2035. The allocation of the ‘small licenses’ was never done under an Open Tender which we in Selangor would strongly advocate, but all the 27 pieces of quarry land were quietly parcelled out to some companies both in Selangor and other states, including some shell companies with very low paid up capitals. 

We have already identified the name of the same person in two companies which were given two parcels of land located next to each other. There are also names of individuals who had defected together with Azmin, who are named directors in some of these companies. 

For example, Razali bin Ramly (appointed January 2017) and Khairul Afiq Bin A Rahim (appointed November 2020) who both left their PKR posts in Gombak division to follow Azmin and Hilman into the Bersatu faction of the present ruling coalition in the federal government, are two of the directors cum shareholders of Jernih Jasa Intan Sdn Bhd which was awarded Plot 12. 

Both Razali and Khairul Afiq are loyal supporters and employees of Azmin and his key Political Secretary, Muhammad Hilman Idham. 

Four of the shell companies are worth RM2.00, RM3.00, RM25.00 and RM100.00, while another three are state-linked companies which come under the direct control of the Menteri Besar. These state-linked companies have little or no expertise in quarrying work. 

Only four of the companies out of a list of 27 companies have any experience or expertise in quarrying work. The allotment of the small licenses to a number of these companies are nothing but an abuse of the powers vested on the Menteri Besar. 

As you are well aware, Tan Sri, in Pakatan Harapan, we do not practise Ali Baba companies as this is open to abuses and corruption. 

We will begin expose more of the information in due course, showing how and when quarry land had been parcelled out. 

Therefore, with all due respect to you, Tan Sri, as the MACC Chief Commissioner, you have a duty to carry out a thorough investigation into the case as the evidences are laid on the table and you be able to see for yourself the extent of the problem that we are highlighting as citizens of Malaysia. 

*(RONNIE LIU is the state assemblyman for Sungai Pelek state constituency. He is also the DAP Central Executive Committee member).*

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