Harakah: "Public against building of Warisan Tower"

Harakah (October 25-28, 2010 issue) reported: "The proposed construction of the Warisan Tower in the 2011 Budget presented by the Prime Minister has drawn ridicule and criticism from society. The statement that Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), which will be developing the landmark worth RM5 billion, ostensibly has the ability to finance the integrated project from its own funds is uncertain.

Commenting on the issue, Member of Parliament for Pokok Senas, YB Dato' Mahfuz Omar (pix courtesy of harakahdaily.net) said that President of PNB, Tan Sri Hamad Piah's statement was doubtful because all of Amanah Saham Nasional's investment, Amanah Saham Bumiputera's and others worth RM115 billion are from public funds to PNB.

"Even more disappointing is the Prime Minister having said that the idea to build the tower did not come from him, instead came from PNB,”said Mahfuz. "What is strange is that the Prime Minister is the Chairman of PNB's Board of Trustees; therefore, if did not come from him, come from who else?”

Mahfuz is also concerned whether its construction will eventually be awarded to UMNO-BN leaders and its cronies. In the end, the villagers and low-income group will not get any benefit from this project, according to him.

He claimed that the Government's statement of supposedly raising income and spearheading the economy by building the 100-storey tower is only another opera to gain public money.

"In Kuala Lumpur, the volume of office space that will be completed until 2014 is 15 million square feet, not including Warisan Tower," he said" "

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