Iskandar a project for Singapore to grow, says Mahathir

JOHOR BARU: The Iskandar Malaysia project is a platform for Singapore to expand its sovereignty, said former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

He explained that the project was intended to lure Singaporeans and Malay land would be sold to them for 10 times its worth.

“After the land is sold, the Malays will be driven to live at the edge of the forest and even the forest itself.

“In the end, the area in the Iskandar Malaysia will be filled with Singaporeans and populated with only 15% Malays,” he said yesterday during a forum and dialogue on the recent general election organised by Johor Umno grassroots and MyKMU.net.

Meanwhile, former Parit Sulong MP Datuk Noraini Ahmad said the project was designed to ease the creation of “Singapura Raya” where Singapore wanted to expand its land area.

Earlier in a statement as Perdana Global Peace Organisation chairman, Dr Mahathir condemned the move to allow American oil and gas company Halliburton to set up its RM200mil manufacturing plant in Iskandar Malaysia.

He said more than a million Iraqis had died when the United States invaded Iraq, and firms such as Halliburton had benefited from American control of oil flow in West Asia.

Dr Mahathir said the Government should not allow such companies to channel their ill-gotten profits to Malaysia.