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APPLICATION: Selangor Badminton
Association (President - Datuk Zakaria Mat Deros)
APPROVAL: PKNS Land Committee (Chairman - Datuk
Zakaria Mat Deros)
KUALA LUMPUR: The Selangor Badminton Association
applied for a piece of land which was approved by
the Perbadanan Kemajuan Negeri Selangor. Nothing
wrong with that.
Except that beleaguered Klang municipal councillor
Datuk Zakaria Mat Deros is the SBA president and
chairman of the PKNS land committee which approved
the application.
Zakaria, it appears, is a magnet for controversy.
Even before the furore surrounding his palatial home
has subsided, questions are being raised as to
whether there was a conflict of interest in the
approval of the land.
The SBA asked for four hectares (10 acres) in Shah
Alam but was alienated a 2.8ha (seven acres) lot in
Section 7, Phase 3B, Shah Alam.
The cost of the land is RM6,133,834.20, which is
below the market value. It is believed the market
value per square foot in Section 7 is between RM70
and RM100 a square foot, but was offered to the SBA
at RM18.
Ironically, the Sultan of Selangor, who asked
Zakaria to quit as councillor, is also the patron of
the SBA.
In fact, another councillor, Mazlynoor Abdul Latif,
who also failed to submit building plans for his new
house, is the SBA vice-president.
Zakaria, when asked whether the land had been
acquired, said: "I do not want to comment on that.
We will discuss it during the AGM (annual general
meeting) on Dec 9." He said this after an SBA
council meeting at its headquarters in Kampung Attap
yesterday. Zakaria is seeking re-election.
Zakaria has been in the limelight following the
controversy surrounding his decision to build a
bungalow in Kampung Idaman, Pandamaran, Klang
without planning permission.
The application from the SBA was made to the PKNS on
June 3, 2004 stating that it was only practical that
the SBA moved its headquarters to the State’s
capital, Shah Alam.
It was also stated in the application that the SBA
was requesting a four hectare plot to build a
badminton academy and several other sports
facilities.
The request met with a favourable response from the
PKNS on July 28, 2004, which stated that the Land
Committee approved the application at its July 1,
2004 meeting.
However, it is unclear whether Zakaria voted or
abstained when the matter was brought up to the Land
Committee in 2004.
The PKNS also requested the SBA to furnish details
of a conceptual plan for the building, building
components, phases of the building process,
estimated costs and other relevant information.
According to several sources, at a Sept 15, 2006 SBA
exco meeting, it was also suggested that the
association seek developers to develop the 2.8ha
lot.
The idea to seek a piece of land in Shah Alam, said
a source, was mooted by Zakaria himself.
Among plans for the complex are 12 courts with
seating capacity for 1,000 to 2,000 spectators, a
30-room hostel, a clubhouse and other sports
facilities. The total cost of the project is about
RM10 million.
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