By Neville Spykerman
SHAH ALAM, July 6 – Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo denied today that his new home here cost him RM24 million and threatened to sue Sekinchan Assemblyman Ng Swee Lim for making the claim.
Instead, the Opposition leader said he had merely purchased the house worth RM3.5 million on two plots of land, with a bank loan from HSBC.
The former mentri besar said the house was already built on one of the plots and he merely spent a further RM500,000 to renovate the house and its roof.
He pointed out that HSBC would not have approved the loan if it was not above board and also countered claims that he could not afford to purchase the house on what he was being paid as mentri besar at the time.
“My loan is for 30 years and I only purchased the house after being mentri besar for five years.”
He added he had sought the endorsement of the state secretary and the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA), the forerunner of the Malaysian Anti Corruption Agency (MACC ) before purchasing the house to avoid any accusations, which he had expected.
Dr Mohd Khir lashed out at Ng who he said had a personal agenda against him.
“I have been campaigning hard from house to house in his constituency, to win it during the next general elections and this is his way of getting back at me.”
He said if the house is really worth RM24 million he would invite Ng to be his real estate agent and will give him half the amount, if he could sell it for that amount.
“I will gladly give him RM12 million and use the rest of the money to move elsewhere.”
He said the renovation works were being carried out gradually and he had yet to move in because the contractor had fled and his kitchen had yet to be completed.
Dr Mohd Khir said the pictures of his house which were posted on the Internet prior to the Unmo youth elections in March was the work his political enemies.
“I know some people in Umno together with PKR leaders had collaborated to do this and I know who they are.”
