Save our pension, plead military vets

NGOs representing military veterans plead for the Selangor government to help save their pension funds in Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera (LTAT) from being squandered in an ‘unprofitable’ land deal involving LTAT-controlled Boustead Holdings Berhad and firms belonging to carpet trader Deepak Jaikishan and Selangor Wanita Umno chief Raja Ropiaah.

“Eleven percent (of LTAT funds) are government contributions invested to pay for armed forces pensions,” reminded PKR-linked ex-servicemen's association, Pahlawan president Asri Buang.

“It is okay if the LTAT funds are invested in profitable deals, but not if it is invested in unprofitable ventures.”

Asri fears that any bad investment may impact negatively on Boustead, indirectly depleting LTAT cash reserves and may cause losses to the armed forces’ pension funds.

He spoke to Malaysiakini after delivering a memo to a representative of the Selangor MB, asking for the state to block any applications by Raja Ropiaah's Awan Megah Sdn Bhd to transfer the title of a 223-acre land originally acquired by the federal government and granted to the firm for the construction of the sixth Brigade army camp.

Asri led a 20-member delegation from Pahlawan, PAS-linked ex-servicemen’s association Kerabat, and veterans who sit on PKR’s security committee to hand-deliver their memo to the Selangor Menteri Besar Mohd Khalid Ibrahim at the state secretariat building in Shah Alam.

The memo was received on the MB’s behalf by his political secretary Faekah Hussin.

The land in question is currently being acquired by Boustead, which LTAT has a controlling stake and is heavily-invested in, in a deal which involved the RM30 million purchase of Astacanggih Sdn Bhd owned by Deepak and the subsequent purchase of the land from Awan Megah for RM130 million.

Many believe that this is an attempt to buy Deepak’s silence and rescue Raja Ropiaah from further controversy and will not bring much profit to Boustead.

Deepak (right) had recently hogged the media limelight when he came out threatening to reveal information allegedly linking Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and family members in a cover-up attempt linked to the murder of Mongolian national, Altantuya Shaariibuu.

The controversial carpet trader who was engaged in a legal dispute with Raja Ropiaah over the same piece of land made it clear that he only came forward as he was being ‘cheated’ by Raja Ropiaah and his businesses and contracts were being ‘disturbed’.

He also claimed that he was strong-armed into settling the legal matter with the Selangor Wanita Umno chief and was forced to accept the Boustead takeover of Astacanggih.