Mara to respond to RM65 mil Aussie property purchase tomorrow

KUALA LUMPUR (June 23): Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) chairman Tan Sri Annuar Musa today said he would issue an official statement tomorrow regarding a report by Australian daily The Age over the entity's alleged purchase of a RM65 million property in Melbourne.

According to Malaysiakini, Annuar said he could not confirm or deny the report.

Annuar later confirmed with The Malaysian Insider that he would only make an official comment on the matter tomorrow.

"Tomorrow, 10.30," he said in a brief message through WhatsApp.

The Australian paper had reported that “top” Mara officer, senior official and former politician allegedly spent millions of government funds to buy an apartment block in Melbourne in a property scam.

"I can't answer that," he was quoted by the newsportal as saying.

"We can't say yes or no, but tomorrow I will give an official statement," he added.

Malaysiakini reported that Annuar would be issuing the statement during a press conference at the Mara headquarters, around 10am tomorrow.

"We are quite aware of all (the allegations)... there are certain things that we can announce tomorrow," he added.

The report in Australia today said that that “a group of super-rich Malaysian officials” overpaid by A$4.75 million (RM13.8 million) for an apartment block in the city in 2013.

The trio had allegedly “overbid” for the building, called Dudley International House, from A$17.8 million to A$22.5 million (RM65.3 million), with the difference pocketed as bribes back home.

The report said the five-storey Dudley International House is a student hostel bought by Mara in the suburb of East Caulfield and accommodates up to 115 Mara students attending Monash University.