MINDEF land swap deal: Onn Hafiz called by PAC

KUALA LUMPUR: Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi was called by the Public Accounts Committee yesterday to record his statement on the Defence Ministry's (MINDEF) land swap deal.

PAC chairman Wong Kah Woh said Onn Hafiz was called as the fourth witness in the hearing proceeding, held at the Kluang District Office, after the Special Investigation Committee on Public Governance, Procurement and Finance (JKSTUPKK) found that he was linked to the construction of the Paloh Camp project in Kluang in 2016, which was involved in the land swap.

"Datuk Onn Hafiz was called in his capacity as the political secretary to then Defence Minister from 2013 to 2018, and the investigation by PAC is focused on the role he played in the proposed construction of the camp which started in 2016, " he said in a statement today..

According to Wong, MINDEF secretary-general Datuk Seri Muez Abd Aziz and deputy secretary-general (Development) Datuk Dr Shahrazat Ahmad also gave their statements during the two-hour hearing which began at 4 pm.

He said other witnesses who had been called by the committee to testify in the case were JKSTUPKK chairman Tan Sri Ambrin Buang, on Nov 16, 2020, and Senior Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein on Dec 1, 2021, as well as Muez.

The land swap deal in the case involved a 38.04 hectare army camp in Kinrara, Selangor, the construction of an air force facility in Sendayan, Negeri Sembilan, and the construction of an army camp in Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan.

However, in 2016, the proposal to construct an army camp in Port Dickson was replaced with the proposal to set up the Paloh camp.

Prior to the hearing proceeding yesterday, Wong said, the PAC visited the Paloh Camp, covering 26.31 hectare, to look at the progress of the construction of the project, which was to house the Headquarters of the 33rd Royal Artillery Regiment (33 RAD) and Squadron 8 of the Royal Army Engineers Regiment (RAJD).

-- BERNAMA