A BUDDHIST association is suing MCA Selangor following a dispute over a plot of land in SS25, Petaling Jaya, after it claims the political party reneged on its promise to sell it to them for the construction of a community centre.

The Cempaka Buddhist Lodge filed the suit at the Shah Alam High Court on November 24, naming Selangor MCA chief and party president Liow Tiong Lai as first defendant.

The 0.4ha land was to be sold to the religious group in 2012 for RM2.57 million, said SK Tan, president of the association.

“We seek a specific performance by them (MCA) to do what to do they agreed to in 2012,” Tan told The Malaysian Insight.  

“There was an understanding to build a community structure to further our activities,” he said.

“And nothing happened. They told us to get an office unit to swap it as they said they cannot sell the land directly. We already commenced the purchase of the unit in Shah Alam to start the process,” he said.

However, Tan said the transaction has been indefinitely suspended pending a decision from MCA.

“We don’t go on feelings. We go on facts and actions,” said Tan.

Earlier today, DAP member of parliament for Petaling Jaya Utara Tony Pua criticised MCA for selling the land for profit and said that the land should be returned to the state government at cost price, failing which the MCA should pay the state government market value for the land.

DAP had said Selangor MCA purchased the plot of land in 2007 for RM1 per ft2 (psf) when it was worth RM400 psf, on claims that the land was to be used for charitable reasons. The land was purchased for RM52,000 in 2008.

Pua told a press conference in Taman Cempaka today that before the purchase, the land had been classified a water retention area to prevent floods.

“We discovered that MCA had applied for the land to be converted to be classified as a commercial area,” Pua said. DAP had earlier landed much of the blame on MCA vice-president Chew Mei Fun, who was PJ Utara MP from 1999 to 2008.

Chew has denied being part of the district land committee or a member of the Selangor state exco at the time the purchase was approved.

Pua said the DAP was aware of the dispute between MCA and the Buddhist organisation, and said while the party would not get involved in the suit, it was further proof that the MCA had intended from the start to sell the land for profit.

“This shows that from the beginning they never intended to use it for public service,” said Damansara Utama assemblywoman Yeo Bee Yin.

“The for sale sign is still there. From the beginning they wanted to sell the land,” she added.

Meanwhile, Chew in an immediate response said she stands by her statement in September when she denied any involvement over the land deal and slammed Pua for dragging her into the controversy.

“Tony Pua is either telling lies or he is ignorant and not fit to be an MP,” she told The Malaysian Insight today.

“As any people’s representative will know, an MP is never involved in any land committee nor have the right to approve any land application,” she added. – December 8, 2017.