FORMER MIC president S. Samy Vellu has been accused of corruption for the third time over a land deal meant to provide housing for plantation workers in 2005, according to a report lodged with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) today, the New Straits Times reported.

The report was lodged by MIC’s former Sg Siput division chief M. Lokanathan, who said he had filed the two earlier reports against Samy Vellu over the 40.87ha plot of land in Sg Siput, Perak. 

Lokanathan alleged that the former works minister had bought the palm oil estate land for RM11,000 per ha and sold it for RM68,000 per ha.

The land was meant for housing for plantation workers under a cooperative, but ownership of a multipurpose building and carpark built there were then transferred to a China businessman.

Lokanathan said he had lodged reports with the MACC on the matter on September 10, 2016 and February 28, this year, but no action had been taken since.

“This is my third report and I hope the commission will take action this time for the sake of the plantation workers,” he was reported as saying.

Samy Vellu, now in his 80s, was Sg Siput’s long-serving MP until he lost the seat in the 2008 general election. As works minister, he was also one of the longest-serving members of the cabinet. – March 8, 2019.