KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 4 — Berjaya Land Berhad today denied all the allegations caretaker Kedah menteri besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor made against it as being false and defamatory, adding that the company is lodging a police report over this and pursuing legal action.

In a lengthy statement today, Berjaya Land also gave a detailed point-by-point clarification in response to Sanusi’s August 2 speech regarding the Selangor Maritime Gateway (SMG) project at an event called "Jelajah Mega PN Best” or "PN Best Sayangi Kedah Sejahtera” mega tour.

Berjaya Land said it believes that Sanusi's speech was "politically motivated” and contained untrue remarks designed to put both the company and the Selangor state government in a bad light by implying that the two had questionable dealings over the project.

"These accusations, which we categorically deem as slanderous, false, malicious, and completely without merit, have been made by Datuk Seri Haji Muhammad Sanusi bin Md Nor, the Kedah menteri besar. It is with utmost seriousness that we address these accusations to clear the good name and reputation of Berjaya Land,” Berjaya Land Group CEO Syed Ali Shahul Hameed said in the statement.

Later in the statement, Syed Ali concluded by asserting that Sanusi’s allegations are "clearly entirely baseless and without any verification as to its veracity”.

"These statements were made recklessly and maliciously and are evidently intended to tarnish Berjaya Land’s reputation and undermine our commitment as well as that of the state government to the betterment of Selangor State and its people,” he said.

"I would also add that we are taking immediate action by lodging a police report and pursuing legal measures to protect our rights in this matter,” he added.

To clarify matters, Berjaya Land listed the facts as it tried to correct "inaccurate and misleading statements” made about the company.

On the first allegation that the Selangor government’s Menteri Besar Selangor Incorporated (MBI) sold a 55 per cent stake in its wholly-owned subsidiary to Berjaya Land or the latter’s related companies, Berjaya Land said that "there is no such purported sale”.

Instead, Berjaya Land said that MBI’s subsidiary Landasan Lumayan Sdn Bhd and Berjaya Hartanah Berhad had formed a joint venture with a 45 per cent and 55 per cent stake, respectively, in the joint venture firm Landasan Lumayan Berjaya Sdn Bhd (LLBSB).

Berjaya Land said LLBSB was formed to clean and develop the Klang River as one of its aims, and that this joint venture firm focuses on affordable housing projects to generate money to fund and sustain river-cleaning initiatives under the SMG project.

It said the Green World Awards 2023 had recognised the SMG project for its efforts to clean the Klang River, and that this project has successfully improved the river’s water quality from Class 4 to Class 2 now.

On the second allegation that Berjaya Land or its related companies was given 600 acres of Selangor state land worth RM10 billion for free, Berjaya Land said that both it and its related companies "never obtained” and "was never given” or awarded 600 acres of land valued at RM10 billion.

Berjaya Land said that only several parcels of land totalling 103.6 acres were identified as feasible for development, and that it was only these land that the Selangor state government had granted approval to be alienated to the joint venture company LLBSB.

Responding to the purported claim of free land, Berjaya Land instead said that it is the one that is required to raise funds to pay for the RM113.1 million premium for the alienation of land to LLBSB based on market rate.

As for the third allegation that the Selangor government would incur losses of RM180 million by entering into a joint venture with Berjaya Land and giving 600 acres of land for free to it and its related companies, this was flatly rejected by Berjaya Land.

Berjaya Land said both it and its companies did not get 600 acres of land for free and the Selangor state government did not incur RM180 million in losses for purportedly giving away free land.

Berjaya Land again said that only 103.6 acres of land was alienated to the joint venture firm LLBSB where Selangor’s MBI’s subsidiary holds a 45 per cent share.

Berjaya Land also added that the joint venture company LLBSB has to pay RM113.1 million in premium for the 103.6 acres of land, based on the land’s current market value as valued by government valuer Valuation and Property Services Department.

"Berjaya and/or its related company(ies) will raise fund required for the JVCo to pay RM113.1 million land premiums to Selangor State,” the company said in its statement.

Separately, caretaker Selangor menteri besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari in a statement this afternoon denied all allegations made in Sanusi’s speech at the Jelajah Mega PN Best ‘Sayangi Kedah Sejahtera’ event at Dataran Darul Aman in Jitra, Kedah.

Amirudin said he had already spoken on the matter in detail at the Selangor state assembly last year and this year as well as in Parliament in March this year, adding that he will immediately initiate legal action against Sanusi over the alleged defamation.