KUALA LUMPUR – The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has found that Mara Inc made overvalued property purchases in London, United Kingdom (UK), and Melbourne, Australia.
PAC Chairman, Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin, said the transactions involved the purchase of Dudley International House at 51 Queen Street and 333 Exhibition Street in Melbourne in 2013.
She said this was followed by the purchase of Beaumont House in London in 2014, which was also not approved by the Ministry of Finance (MoF).
“However, the Ministry of Rural Development (KKDW) appealed, and the matter was brought to the Economic Council, which then granted approval in 2013.
“The case of the overvalued property purchase in Melbourne, Australia, was investigated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and is currently still in court proceedings.
“This matter is one of the PAC’s findings presented to the Dewan Rakyat today,” she said in a statement today.
Meanwhile, the PAC recommends that KKDW, Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara), Mara Corporation Sdn. Bhd. (Mara Corp), and Mara Inc ensure that investment proposals, both domestically and internationally, including the acquisition of high-value assets such as property, comply with the latest government policy, prioritising domestic investments.
“Such proposals must first be approved by the MoF, and the MoF’s decision must be adhered to in order to prevent the recurrence of property purchase scandals.
“The PAC’s findings and recommendations regarding the management of Mara Inc are the result of three proceedings held on July 30, 2024, July 31 July, 2024, and September 19, 2024,” she said.
To date, five individuals have been called to give statements to the PAC, including the Deputy Auditor General (Companies), Roslan Abu Bakar; the KKDW Secretary General, Datuk Muhd Khair Razman Mohamed Annuar; the Director General of Mara, Datuk Seri Azhar Abdul Manaf; the Director of Group Corporate Planning of Mara Corp, Datuk Amir Azhar Ibrahim; and the CEO of Mara Inc, Mohd Fadzil Mohd Idris.
Meanwhile, the PAC believes that Mara Inc’s action in applying for the second conversion of existing debt to equity for Premiera Hotel after the first time in 2015 is a step that should not be repeated.
“The committee recommends that KKDW, Mara, Mara Corp, and Mara Inc ensure that Premiera Hotel has a clear plan to ensure that the debt-to-equity conversion can help generate returns towards the company’s sustainability,” she said. – November 26, 2024