THE Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) will be investigating more cases involving wrongdoing and corruption in Felda, said the agency’s chairman, Shahrir Abdul Samad.

Shahrir said MACC’s investigation into the agency is unlikely to be limited to the purchase of a hotel in Kuching, and property in Kensington, London, by Felda Investment Corporation (FIC).

“I don’t think it (the investigation) will only stop with FIC and the Kensington property, but there will be other cases. We are open to investigation,” the Johor Baru MP said during a press conference at Dialogue TN50 with Felda new-generation settlers at Menara Felda in Kuala Lumpur today.

Present was Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

MACC is currently investigating FIC’s purchase of the Hotel Grand Borneo in Kuching, which is affiliated to the 1Borneo Hypermall in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

FIC reportedly paid RM86.4 million for the hotel in 2012.

Meanwhile, Merdeka Palace, a five-star hotel with 213 rooms, in Kuching was allegedly purchased for RM50 million more than its original value.

Park City Grand Plaza in Kensington was reported to have been bought for RM330 million, allegedly RM220 million more than its original value of RM110 million.

The acquisition is FIC’s first London property and Felda’s second. FIC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Felda.

The Kensington purchase was made under FIC chief executive officer Mohd Zaid Abdul Jalil during the time that Isa Samad was chairman of Felda Global Ventures Holdings Bhd (FGV), another Felda subsidiary.

MACC has called on a few individuals to assist in investigations regarding the purchases and have also raided a few locations, including Isa’s office when he was in FGV and the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) office.

In March 2015, MACC questioned one of Isa’s sons over the Kensington purchase, according to Malaysiakini, citing a source privy to the investigations.

In May that year, Paul Low, the minister in charge of transparency and integrity, told Parliament that MACC found no wrongdoing in FIC’s London purchase.

In January this year, newly appointed Felda chairman Shahrir ordered all FIC board members to resign to facilitate the reorganisation of the company.

Isa resigned from FGV on June 19 after a public row with FGV president and CEO Zakaria Arshad over questionable deals worth hundreds of millions of ringgit.

Isa has since been appointed acting chairman of SPAD.

FIC was previously known as Capital Protocol Sdn Bhd before it was incorporated by Felda in July 2013. –November 14, 2017.