Logging company Seruan Gemilang Makmur (SGM) has raised more questions over the ownership status of a 10,000-acre plot of land at the centre of a logging scandal involving Umno Pahang.

In a police report lodged two days ago, the company's director Syed Ali Badarudin said the status of the land has switched several times over the past two years from being a privately-owned plot to a state government-owned plot and back again.

He alleged that Pahang Menteri Besar Adnan Yaakob may have abused his powers in approving the ownership switches without abiding by rules governing land transfers.

According to him, on July 31, 2000, the Pahang forestry director had issued a logging permit to SGM for 8,000-acres of the Nenasi plot near Pekan, said to belong to Umno Pahang.

"The approval was issued using Form 5, which is applicable for privately-owned land. Prior to issuing the permit, the forestry director had to get the consent of Menteri Besar Adnan Yaakob," he said in the police report which was made available to malaysiakini.

However, Syed Ali said in two later correspondence between Umno Pahang to the Pekan District Land Office - dated Dec 21, 2000 and 31 July, 2001 respectively - referred to the Nenasi land as a plot belonging to the state government.

"The menteri besar himself noted down on the (Dec 21, 2000) letter that the application for logging concessions on the Nenasi land had to be referred to the state executive council.

"This shows that the menteri besar, who was also the head of the Umno Pahang committee, was well aware that the plot of land was still owned by the state government," he said.

Despite this, Syed Ali said the Forestry Department, with the consent of Adnan, once again required SGM to apply in May 2003 to log for the remaining 2,000 acres of the Nenasi plot using Form 5, the procedure to secure approval for privately-owned land.

"Therefore, I feel that the menteri besar had deliberately approved the application (using Form 5) against regulation. He may have abused his powers as menteri besar or powers given to him as a figure of state authority," he added in the report.

Timber premium

Meanwhile, another SGM director Lee Sin explained that the ownership transfer is significant as it would determine whether the logging company had to pay the state government a timber premium for the right to log in the area.

"Depending on the number of trees logged, the timber premium could be anything between RM20 million and RM30 million for the full 10,000 acres of land," he said during an interview yesterday.

Lee said the switch to private land status did not imply that the concessionaire did not have to pay the timber premium but that the state government would no longer be getting the money set aside for these payments.

"We would have to pay the same amount. It is just that the amount set aside for the premium would be given to the land owners," he said.

According to two approval letters sent by the Forestry Department to SGM in 2000 and 2002 allowing the company to log in two portions of the Nenasi plot, the owners of the land are named as Umno Pahang.

When contacted later, Adnan declined to comment on the allegations against him except to say that the matter should be left to be investigated by the authorities.

"I am very happy that they have lodged the report but I cannot comment on it. Just let the police and the Anti-Corruption Agency investigate," he said.

In addition to the current complaint, SGM had lodged several other police reports alleging wrongdoings by Adnan in awarding the multi-million ringgit logging concessions, following the company's botched dealings with Umno Pahang.

The ACA had also started investigations into the logging issue in response to reports lodged by opposition leaders from DAP and PAS.

The latest revelation by SGM adds further to the controversy surrounding the involvement of Umno Pahang in the logging activities in the state.

Commenting on the scandal back in July, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had said that state land cannot be given to a political party but only to a private company.

However, malaysiakini reported previously that Umno Pahang was had been awarded the concession to log the massive area - about 40 sq km in size - in 1998 by then Pahang menteri besar and Umno state chief Khalil Yaacob.

Although the party subsequently failed to pay a RM4.8 million land premium to the state government, it nevertheless farmed out contracts to logging companies which cleared some 70 percent of the land.