Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali has chosen to prioritise his personal and political interests in deciding to settle the Ijok land issue out of court, Selangor Barisan Nasional information chief Satim Diman claimed today.

The former Seri Serdang assemblyperson also called Azmin's people-friendly persona a facade.

"He only prioritises his own interests over the people's. There is all this talk about him caring for the people, but for me, he is a liar.

"He profited, the people suffered, and later he said the problem was inherited from (the previous) BN state government," Satim (centre in photo) told reporters during the Jelajah Kasih Negeriku Selangor programme at Ladang Fermanagh in Kuala Langat today.

Satim said this in response to the renewed controversy over Azmin's decision to return RM1.18 billion worth of disputed land in Ijok to two companies before the matter is to be heard by the Federal Court.

Read: S'gor BN reminds voters of ‘Malay who forgets the most’

The two companies – LBCN Development Sdn Bhd and Mujur Zaman Sdn Bhd – were involved in a tussle over the land with the previous Selangor administration under Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.

Two prior court decisions, in the High Court and the Court of Appeal, had sided with the Selangor government.

Following negotiations with the two companies, Azmin's administration withdrew the case from the Federal Court, handed the land back to them, and paid compensation to the settlers on the land.

'Where did the money go?'

Commenting further, Satim questioned the menteri besar’s decision, which he claimed failed to protect the interest of settlers in Ijok.

"By right if he (Azmin) wants to resolve the issue, why did he hand over the land to the companies at market price, but not compensate the settlers at market price?"

"This was how Azmin had cheated the settlers. The state government made close to RM800 million profit, (but) he only resolved the compensation issue with a (payment) of RM420 million.

"Where did the remaining money go? If he truly cared about the people, the compensation payment should have also followed market price," he claimed.

Satim added that Selangor BN would be lodging a report with the MACC next week on the matter.

Last Thursday, the Selangor menteri besar's office's strategic communications director Yin Shao Loong explained that each of the Ijok settlers would receive RM180,000 in cash, along with houses now worth at least RM400,000.

Azmin, meanwhile, said that the Selangor government had already submitted all documents over the Ijok land issue to MACC, following reports lodged by several NGOs.