KUALA LUMPUR: A managing director of a real estate company was arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) yesterday to assist in the investigation of a case involving the fragmentation of about 650 hectares of Malay reserve land in Manjung, Sitiawan Perak, in 2012.
It is believed that the 44-year-old suspect's company was involved in splitting up the land lots into non-Malay land, and then selling them into lots for houses and bungalows.
It is understood that the MACC investigation also found a total of 317 lots that were divided and sold to individuals and companies, most of whom were non-Malays.
The arrest comes after the arrest of a former Perak Land and Mines Office deputy registrar of titles who was charged in the Ipoh Sessions Court last month.
Sources said the investigation found that the company was suspected of paying bribes to government employees to change Malay reserve land in Setiawan.
"After the change in the status of the land, it was divided into lots for various uses such as residential lots and sold to non-Malays to be used as their properties.
"MACC has so far been able to detect a total of 317 ownership fractions or lots from the 650 hectares of Malay reserve land whose ownership has been changed," the source said today.
MACC senior director of Investigations Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hashim, confirmed the arrest of the suspect in accordance with the MACC Act 2009 for giving bribes.
He said the suspect would be remanded at the Ipoh magistrate's court today.
On Apr 30, Rosli Che Mohamad, 64, pleaded not guilty to a charge of defrauding the Perak Agricultural Land Board, resulting in the fragmentation of Malay Reserve Land covering an area of approximately 649.2 hectares in 2012.
