KUALA LUMPUR: Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said it was clear that the privatisation of Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) assets issue was being exploited as GE14 (14th General Election) campaign fodder.
He said former Cabinet minister Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz had all the time to raise it in the past but had chosen to do so only now.
“So it is obvious that there is a certain intention and agenda to challenge the credibility of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak through this issue.
“She could have brought it up all this while but she has chosen to do so only now...it is clear the baseless allegations have been made with ill intentions and as a personal attack, seeing that polls are just around the corner,” he said.
Without naming anyone, Hishammuddin said it was obvious “they” wanted the issue to be prolonged until the elections were held.
“Their stance continuously changes, and even if these allegations are addressed, it will not satisfy them.
"I repeat that the allegations have no basis and are purely slander. I hope that other involved parties will answer truthfully. The Secretary General of the Ministry and Armed Forces Fund Board (LTAT) can answer these allegations and will do so tomorrow,” he said.
Hishammuddin said Rafidah - who was former Minister of International Trade and Industry, had targetted Najib and him to pile on the pressure as a clear political strategy.
He said this at a press conference after launching the One Member One House Programme (Sasar) at the Transmitter Camp in Sungai Besi, here today.
At the launch, it was announced that 3,500 affordable homes would be built, specifically for armed forces members, MAF veterans, members of the Defence Ministry and their family members.
Also present at the launch was Armed Forces chief, General Tan Sri Raja Mohamed Affandi Raja Mohamed Noor.
Last Saturday, Rafidah through an open letter to the prime minister uploaded on her Facebook account, stated that Najib who was defence minister in 2008, had recommended the privatisation of over 40,000 hectares of Mindef/ Armed Forces land to a company owned by three individuals and this had been approved and implemented.
However, Hishammuddin and Mindef have since denied this, making it clear that it was nothing but a baseless accusation.
Mindef in a statement yesterday said the appointment of the company to implement development projects under Mindef, including the land swap privatisation method, was in accordance with the procedures established under the Public Private Partnership Unit (UKAS).
It added that each development project was implemented by different companies and had nothing to do with one another.
According to the statement, MINDEF lands involved in land swapping were implemented after obtaining approval of the ‘end user’ such as the Army, the Royal Malaysian Navy and the Royal Malaysian Air Force.