I hope ACA not ACAH saja

Utusan Malaysia and the New Straits Times today carried reports on ACA's investigation on a minister's links with a non-governmental organisation that purportedly spent RM1.4 million of public funds on entertainment claims.

The minister is the chairperson of the NGO, which receives grants from the government.

While I must congratulate Citizen Nades for breaking the story, the case now rests with ACA. If the Minister later says "it's my prerogative as a Minister to approve a budget", what happens then?

Morally it's wrong but legally it's not!

Kita tidak persoalkan hak-hak seorang menteri tapi yang kita mahu ialah apa jadi pada sejumlah wang yang besar? Benarkah duit itu disalurkan kepada individu-individu tertentu yang dikaitkan dengan menteri? Ini yang ACA harus siasat.




Belanja mewah: BPR mula siasat yayasan sukan wanita

PUTRAJAYA 16 April - Badan Pencegah Rasuah (BPR) telah memulakan siasatan berhubung pendedahan perbelanjaan mewah oleh Yayasan Sukan dan Kecergasan Wanita Malaysia (WSFFM) seperti dilaporkan sebuah akhbar berbahasa Inggeris hari ini.

Pengarah Siasatan BPR, Datuk Shukri Abdull berkata, pihaknya telah menghantar pegawai untuk menyiasat dakwaan tersebut.

"Kita sudah hantar pegawai untuk siasat," katanya ketika dihubungi Utusan Malaysia di Kota Kinabalu di sini hari ini.

Akhbar The Sun antara lain mempersoalkan perbelanjaan WSFFM yang memperoleh geran tahunan daripada kerajaan bagi tujuan hiburan dan acara yang mencecah RM1.4 juta.

Perbelanjaan lain WSFFM ialah pelancongan dan pengangkutan sebanyak RM858,000, pengiklanan dan media RM932,000 serta percetakan dan alat tulis RM710,000.

Peruntukan tahunan kepada yayasan diberikan semasa Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said yang juga Pengerusi WSFFM menyandang jawatan Menteri Belia dan Sukan.

Sementara itu, Pengerusi Eksekutif WSFFM, Dr. S. S. Hamala berkata, Azalina tiada kaitan langsung dengan pengurusan perbelanjaan itu.

Tegasnya, Azalina tidak ambil satu sen pun daripada peruntukan itu.

Jelasnya, terdapat satu jawatankuasa induk khas yang menapis tender dan mengaudit akaun yayasan.

"Dalam satu mesyuarat yang diadakan pada 29 Januari lalu, sebanyak 196 ahli telah bersetuju dengan penggunaan wang tersebut selepas penjelasan diberikan oleh ahli jawatankuasa itu.

"Mereka yang tidak menghadirinya pasti musykil bagaimana wang itu digunakan. Malangnya, wartawan yang menulis artikel itu tidak pernah menghubungi kami untuk mendapatkan penjelasan," jelasnya ketika dihubungi Utusan Malaysia malam ini.


http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=2008&dt=0417&pub=Utusan_Malaysia&sec=Dalam_Negeri&pg=dn_02.htm


ACA to probe minister's link to NGO's RM1.4m bill


PUTRAJAYA: The Anti-Corruption Agency will look into a minister's links with a non-governmental organisation that purportedly spent RM1.4 million of public funds on entertainment claims.

The minister is the chairperson of the NGO, which receives grants from the government.

An ACA source said the NGO's annual reports would be scrutinised, although this did not mean the agency was opening investigation papers.

"The ministry gives the NGO grants and it is its prerogative to spend the money.

"However, we will do a thorough check and look at their annual reports," the source said.

More information had to be gathered before deciding whether investigation papers would be opened, the officer added.

ACA deputy director-general Datuk Abu Kassim said he would comment on the case after receiving more information from his officers.

The NGO's spending was highlighted in an English-language newspaper yesterday, which said it had obtained a copy of the annual report.

Also listed in the expenditure was RM1.18 million on grants, RM2.1 million on meals and accommodation, RM932,000 on media and advertising, RM710,000 on production, RM710,000 on printing and stationery, RM865,400 on equipment rental, RM242,000 for volunteers' allowances, RM117,700 on wages, and RM858,000 for travelling and transportation.

In an immediate response, the Women's Sports and Fitness Foundation Malaysia (WSFFM) emailed to newspapers its explanation on its spending.

WSFFM said it organised the National Women Games last year, with the participation of 3,400 athletes and 600 officials.

It also hosted an international conference, attended by 289 participants, and various courses for 780 officials.

For the games, it provided free internal transport between the games village and competition venues, as well as meals for athletes and officials.

It also gave gifts of pillows, pillowcases, bedsheets and blankets to the athletes and officials. Each set was priced at RM44.

WSFFM explained that these were given as it would have cost the organisers RM60 per person per day to rent them at the games village.

T-shirts were also given to athletes, officials, volunteers, technical officers and others for easy identification.

On grants, it said RM30,000 was given to each of the 15 state sports council and to the national sports associations for organising the competitions.

The email also listed wages and allowances but no amount was given.

On the RM1.4 million entertainment bill, WSFFM said: "The precise definition of the term entertainment used in the accounts encompasses a broad range of expenses related to sports events, athletes and team management participating in the National Women Games 2007."

This included ceremonial events, opening and closing ceremonies, and prize-giving ceremonies.

"The WSFFM is able to justify every single expense and investment the government, Ministry of Youth and Sports and the National Sports Council provide to women and sports through us.

"There is no manipulation in our expenditure, no one has taken a single sen for personal gain and we have been very transparent to publish this for public consumption."

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Thursday/Frontpage/2215853/Article/index_html