THE Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) will question former defence minister Hishammuddin Hussein on Sunday to give his statement on land swap deals made during his tenure. 

MACC deputy chief commissioner (operations) Azam Baki said Hishammuddin requested that day as he was only available then. 

Azam also said that former home minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was questioned earlier by MACC last Thursday on the deals. 

“Several individuals have already been called as our investigation is ongoing,” he said at the MACC headquarters today. 

Azam also did not rule out the possibility that former prime minister Najib Razak could be called in to record his statement.

On May 17, a total of 14 reports were lodged by Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu’s special officer, Mohd Nasaie Ismail. 

The deals date back to the 1990s and were approved under the previous Barisan Nasional regime.

The reports were lodged after the Defence Ministry released a special audit report on 16 land swaps, including building military bases in certain parliamentary constituencies to shore up votes for selected Umno politicians.

This was done prior to the 14th general election last year so that thousands of servicemen and their families could be relocated to the bases.

In response to the Mindef audit, Hishammuddin said he welcomed the investigation, adding that he would submit his own report to the MACC.

He highlighted the deal involving land in Plentong and Tebrau, Johor, over which the ministry previously sued a developer for RM1.48 billion.

He did not respond directly to the audit report’s findings that one of his own former aides allegedly used his influence to get an army camp built in Paloh, a state seat in the Sembrong federal constituency that Hishammuddin holds, to shore up votes for him in GE14.

The audit was conducted by former auditor-general Ambrin Buang, who was appointed by Pakatan Harapan to look into dubious deals approved by the previous administration, beginning with Mindef.

Under the land-swap system, Putrajaya privatises government land in exchange for the construction of government facilities. – June 20, 2019.