Malacca executive committee member Norhizam Hassan Baktee (above) has alleged that officials of the previous BN state government were involved in a corruption scandal involving some RM30 million.

Speaking to The Star, he revealed that the money was originally intended as compensation to 1,393 fisherfolk affected by land reclamation works.

Collected from contractors involved in the reclamation works, the money had been channelled to a development trust fund set up by the previous BN state government.

Norhizam alleged that the RM30 million was now missing.

“We only have a record of the amount on paper, but not the money,” he told the paper.

Yesterday, he met with MACC chief Mohd Shukri Abdull at the commission’s headquarters in Putrajaya to hand over seven files containing evidence of his claim. A copy of the files was also handed over to attorney-general Tommy Thomas.

The files detail how three sitting assemblypersons had allegedly abused their power and enriched themselves through the scandal when they were part of the previous BN state government.

The 13 BN assemblypersons in the present Malacca legislative assembly are Ismail Othman (Kuala Linggi), Mohd Rawi Mahmud (Tanjung Bidara), Amirudin Yusof (Ayer Limau), Sulaiman Md Ali (Lendu), Latipah Omar (Taboh Naning), Abdul Ghafar Atan (Asahan), Idris Haron (Sungai Udang), Nor Azman Hassan (Pantai Kudor), Rahmad Mariman (Ayer Molek), Ghazale Muhamad (Rim), Zadi Attan (Serkam), Roslan Ahmad (Merlimau) and Hasan Abdul Rahman (Sungai Rambai).

Idris was the state’s former chief minister while Ghafar, Latipah, Hasan and Ismail all had exco positions in the previous state government.

"I don't want these files to turn cold and went directly to see the top guns on (the case of) massive land grabs by the previous administration and misuse of funds meant for agricultural development in the state,” Norhizam was also reported to have said.

The Malacca state legislative assembly building

He currently oversees the agriculture, entrepreneur development and agro-based industries portfolio.

Civil servants also involved

Speaking to Sinar Harian later, the DAP Pengkalan Batu assemblyperson added that several state government officials were also implicated in the files.

“In all the files, a portion of them contain proof of a high-profile case involving a major political figure during the era of the previous government as well as several individuals including civil servants.

“The reason I am doing this is to urge the MACC to investigate these individuals in a transparent manner and with integrity for the sake of the people of Malacca,” he told the Malay-language daily.

According to Norhizam, other files handed to the MACC detailed the alleged misuse of some RM480,000 in state funds intended for importing deer for a farm in Jasin. No animals ever arrived at the farm, he claimed.

He had on Sept 28 submitted a separate batch of files to the MACC alleging the previous state government of abuse of power and misappropriating state funds through several subsidiary companies.