IPOH: Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad has yet to receive a call from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) over the investigation of a piece of land in Seri Iskandar that was proposed for an international airport but sold to a third party.

       The Perak Mentri Besar said the agency had yet to call him over for any questioning.

       When asked if he knew of any state executive councillors who would be called to give their statements, Saarani said:

       “I believe that the exco members have no relation to this issue.”

       “I will probably be called in my capacity as the current Mentri Besar,” he told reporters after the monthly meet-the-people session held at the Indera Mulia stadium here yesterday.

       He said the land was owned by the Perak State Development Corporation (PKNP).

       Last month, Perak Infrastructure, Energy, Water and Public Transport Committee chairman Datuk Mohd Zolkafly Harun said in the state assembly that the plan to build the airport on a 478ha land area was approved in 2018.

       Mohd Zolkafly had said 188.13ha of the allocated land owned by PKNP had been sold to a third party.

       The matter was raised by Aulong assemblyman Nga Kor Ming who claimed at the March 29 state assembly sitting that the land had been sold without the permission of the state government.

       Four state executive council members in the previous Pakatan Harapan government had claimed that the matter was never discussed at the state executive council or the PNKP board of directors meetings during the Pakatan administration.

       On March 31, Saarani had said that the land was sold when Pakatan was in power because during the Barisan Nasional administration, the land was reserved for PKNP for the purpose of building the airport.