JOHOR Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) yesterday to testify on the alleged Defence Ministry land swap deals made by the previous Barisan Nasional administration.

He was summoned to explain his role in the relocation of a new army camp in Port Dickson to Kluang, PAC chairman Wong Kah Who said in a statement today.

Onn, the fourth witness, was called to testify following a disclosure by public governance, procurement and finance committee chairman Ambrin Buang, who linked Onn to the Paloh camp development project in Kluang.

The PAC had called up Ambrin in November 2020, Defence Minister Hishamuddin Hussein in December 2021 and Defence chief secretary Muez Abdul Aziz in November 2020 in connection with the case.

“The land swap project, which started in 2012, initially involved the Kinrara camp in Selangor, covering 94 acres (38ha) of land and the construction of an Air Force (TUDM) facility in Sendayan and an army camp in Port Dickson.

“However, in 2016… the army camp in Port Dickson was replaced by the Paloh camp in Kluang,” said Wong.

Wong had previously said that the PAC would begin its probe into land swap deals made by the Defence Ministry, following a briefing by the special investigation committee.

Wong said the committee investigated 16 land swap cases involving 1,183ha of government land valued at RM4.8 billion.

Wong said Onn was testifying in his capacity as the former political secretary to the defence minister from 2013 to 2018.

“The probe was focused on his involvement in suggesting the construction of Camp Paloh in 2016.”

Yesterday’s hearing started at 4pm and ended two hours later.

The PAC members visited the Paloh Camp in the morning. – July 5, 2022.