UMNO is bringing up the Ijok land case as it is envious that the opposition-led Selangor government was able to resolve the impasse after previous leaders failed to do so, said Mohamed Azmin Ali.

“After 20 years of being silent, Umno is now jealous because in two years, I have managed to resolve the land problem in Ijok,” the menteri besar said on Facebook.

“Imagine what we can do for all the settlers in the whole of Malaysia after we take over Putrajaya.”

In a video posted on his Facebook page today, Azmin said his priority was to protect the interest of settlers, and not big companies.

“I give my assurance that my responsibility in Ijok is to save the settlers, not to save the big companies.”

He said the settlers in Ijok had been deceived for 20 years by the previous state government, as they were told to give away their land but did not receive the compensation that they had been promised.

He said he had compensated 980 settlers, giving them RM180,000 each, on top of giving each family a house worth RM250,000.

“I do not need 20 years, I do not need 10 years. I took only two years.

“You can ask the settlers… they have received RM180,000. (The matter) was resolved by me and the state government.”

The land issue in Ijok was brought up on February 15 by Barisan Nasional communications and strategy director Abdul Rahman Dahlan, who accused Azmin’s administration of impropriety in settling the issue.

Rahman had asked Azmin to explain why the state government “hastily” returned the disputed land, worth RM1.18 billion, in Ijok to two housing developers.

In 2015, Azmin reached a settlement in the case, with developer Eco World agreeing to develop the land.

The state government will get 1,000 acres, the old developers will be compensated, and settlers will each be given a double-storey terrace house, on top of a compensation of RM180,000 for each family.

In the Facebook video, Azmin also said the state government had handed over all documents pertaining to the Ijok land to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission a few months ago, following reports lodged by pressure groups demanding that investigations be carried out. – February 28, 2018.