Tabung Haji: No land deal with 1MDB

PETALING JAYA: Tabung Haji has denied a whistleblower report alleging that the pilgrimage fund has purchased plots of land owned by debt-ridden 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) at an unreasonably high price.

“Wrong. TH will release a statement as soon as possible,” the pilgrimage fund chairman Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim (pic) said in response to a Twitter user on Wednesday night.

Social media was abuzz when a blog called The Benchmark released a set of documents on May 5, purportedly detailing the purchase of two plots of land at the Tun Razak Exchange (TRX) – one for RM194mil at RM2,860 per sq ft, and the other for RM578mil at RM3,900 per sq ft.

The blog, claimed that it had received confirmation from “little birds” in Tabung Haji, saying that it was a “fast-track deal” which had received government approval in less than two weeks and that the money had been paid to 1MDB in full.

The blog also claimed that 1MDB was believed to have been awarded the large tract of government-owned TRX land at a rate of RM60 per sq ft.

It claimed that 1MDB was also believed to have paid a slightly higher rate of about RM90 per sq ft for the Sungai Besi RMAF airport/base land.

When contacted, Abdul Azeez’s special officer said the Baling MP was still at a meeting and was not available for comments.

“A statement will be released soon,” he said.