KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 16 — DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng has urged the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to investigate the alleged award of 700,000 acres of Sabah forest reserve land to "friends and family” of former state chief minister Tan Sri Musa Aman.

The federal lawmaker said the alleged Sabah land scandal should be investigated immediately as it is a much bigger issue in contrast to the MACC’s current probe into the illegal Musang King durian farming in Raub, Pahang.

"This gargantuan land grab of 700,000 acres of forest reserve land is so large, that it is almost three times the size of the state of Penang,” the former Penang chief minister said in a statement today.

The MACC said yesterday that its investigations are underway into the questionable illegal durian farming in Raub, which news reports have estimated to involve 7,000 acres of Pahang state land.

"Failure by MACC to act would once again demonstrate the double-standards of MACC in favour of pro-PN (Perikatan Nasional) political leaders.

"In contrast, MACC can act so quickly to call up ordinary Raub Musang King durian growers for questioning, just due to pressure from PN component parties,” said Lim.

The Bagan MP was responding to his Sabah political ally, Warisan president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal, who yesterday accused rival Musa of awarding 700,000 acres of state forest reserve land under the Sabah Foundation to cronies and family members when the latter was Sabah chief minister.

Lim said the Sabah land issue was not only about corruption, abuse of power and misappropriation of government property, but also had greater environmental implications.

"This land grab of forest reserves is also environmentally disastrous to both wildlife, biodiversity and Malaysia’s international commitment to preserve our forest reserves,” he said.

Sabah will be voting for 73 state seats on September 26, contested by a whopping 447 candidates. Campaigning officially started on September 12.