SKYWORLD Development Group has clarified a report on the sale of 64 plots of land in Kuala Lumpur worth RM4.28 billion to private companies, including the city developer, between 2013 and this year.
Kepong member of parliament (MP) Lim Lip Eng has alleged that 171ha of land was sold without an open tender to companies with no experience in construction and to a textile firm.
SkyWorld founder and group managing director Datuk Ng Thien Phing said the company’s representatives had engaged with Lim over the matter and were told that the allegation was not against any particular property developer and that the MP fully backed entrepreneurs who supported the government’s initiative in building affordable homes for the rakyat.
Ng said in a statement that SkyWorld was first approached in 2013 to collaborate with the government in building 80,000 affordable houses.
“The property market was at its peak and most developers would not want to embark on affordable housing as it was not considered a viable business proposition... but SkyWorld saw it as part of its corporate social responsibility and willingly undertook the development,” he said.
Ng said SkyWorld was offered five plots totaling 6.1ha (about 3.5 per cent of land in the list) by City Hall and the purchase came with conditions whereby 50 per cent of the land must be developed for affordable housing.
The company is building 1,934 units of affordable homes, including the SkyAwani series in Sentul, on 3.5ha site or 57 per cent of the land offered — more than required by the government.
Ng said SkyWorld bought all the land through proper procedure with valuations done by the government valuation department, and all prices, premiums and charges related to the plots were paid accordingly.
The SkyAwani series are in progress with 1,226 units in Phase 1 to be handed over this month and 708 units in Phase 2 slated for handover in the second half of next year.
Ng said SkyAwani 1 is the first affordable housing project to have achieved a QLASSIC rating.
“SkyWorld is always committed to building quality homes. Our affordable series ‘Awani’ will be assessed under the QLASSIC rating system,” he added.
