Ex-MB’s wife: I voted with the others for dissolution

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/3/31/nation/3590885&sec=nation

SHAH ALAM: Selangor Umno liaison chief Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib’s wife Puan Sri Asbi Rohani Asnan told an inquiry that she did not know why the Wives of Selangor Assemblymen and MPs Welfare and Charity Organisation (Balkis) was dissolved but voted for the dissolution because everyone else at the meeting did so.

She also told the Selangor state government’s Special Select Committee on Competence, Accountability and Transparency (Selcat) that it was agreed at the meeting that the association’s monies totalling RM9.9mil would be transferred to another organisation with a similar agenda.

(The money was eventually given to the Association of Wives of Ministers and Deputy Ministers (Bakti) after Balkis was dissolved.)

Asbi Rohani was Balkis president until 1997, while at the time of the dissolution former mentri besar Datuk Seri Dr Khir Toyo’s wife Datin Seri Zaharah Kechik was the president.

Ex-MB’s wife: I voted with the others for dissolution

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/3/31/nation/3590885&sec=nation

SHAH ALAM: Selangor Umno liaison chief Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib’s wife Puan Sri Asbi Rohani Asnan told an inquiry that she did not know why the Wives of Selangor Assemblymen and MPs Welfare and Charity Organisation (Balkis) was dissolved but voted for the dissolution because everyone else at the meeting did so.

She also told the Selangor state government’s Special Select Committee on Competence, Accountability and Transparency (Selcat) that it was agreed at the meeting that the association’s monies totalling RM9.9mil would be transferred to another organisation with a similar agenda.

(The money was eventually given to the Association of Wives of Ministers and Deputy Ministers (Bakti) after Balkis was dissolved.)

Asbi Rohani was Balkis president until 1997, while at the time of the dissolution former mentri besar Datuk Seri Dr Khir Toyo’s wife Datin Seri Zaharah Kechik was the president.

Balkis accounts not audited for eight years

By Neville Spykerman
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/21731-balkis-accounts-not-audited-for-eight-years

SHAH ALAM, March 30 — Like peeling the layers of an onion, the Special Select Committee for Competency, Accountability and Transparency (Selcat) is slowly unravelling the extent of the Wives of Selangor Elected Representatives Welfare Organization's (Balkis) maladministration.

The public inquiry into the charity, which received millions of ringgit from state subsidiaries, today learnt that Balkis had not submitted audited accounts to the Registrar of Societies (ROS) since 2001.

State ROS deputy registrar Yunos Jamil, who continued his testimony today, described the discrepancy as an "oversight."

He told the committee no action was taken against the charity and no action would be taken now because Balkis has been dissolved.

Selcat chairman Teng Chang Khim said he was shocked at the ROS's failure
to monitor the scandal-riddled charity.

However, Yunos said the state ROS had 13,000 societies under its care and did not have the resources to monitor all of them.

He said the main purpose of the ROS is to register the societies and monitoring them was among their other responsibilities.

This raised the ire of Teng who said Yunos's statement was like the police saying they could not fight crime because of lack of resources.

Yunos added the ROS received documents submitted by Balkis in "good faith" and any resolution passed by members were accepted without question.

He also refused to hand over a copy of the notice by Balkis notifying members of an Emergency General Meeting (EGM) on March 11, 2008 which was called to dissolve the charity.

Under Balkis's own constitution, 14 days notice and the reasons of the EGM must be given to members before an EGM can be held and Selcat is attempting to determine if this requirement was followed.

Yunos said he had been advised by the legal advisor of the Home Ministry not to provide the document to Selcat.

However, Teng said under the Section 10 of the Societies Act, member of the public can inspect documents submitted to the ROS for lawful purposes.

Yunos has been given till Wednesday to produce the notice or summonses would be sent to the Registrar of Societies and the legal advisor of the Home Ministry to appear before Selcat.

During a press conference after the inquiry, Teng said Selcat cannot legally compel civil servants outside Selangor to appear before the public inquiry.

However, he said these officers should co-operate with the committee if they have nothing to hide.

Teng said the inquiry is being broadcast "live" over the internet and it was better for all concerned to come explain their decisions rather than face public scorn.

Earlier Balkis past president Puan Sri Rohani Asnan, the wife of former Menteri Besar Tan Sri Mohammad Mohammad Taib, also testified before the inquiry.

Rohani, who was president between 1986 and 1997, was called to explain why she had written a letter, as president of Balkis, to allowed a staff employed by the State Islamic Affairs Council (Mais) to reside at Komplek Wawasan Balkis in April, last year.

The MAIS staff, Hafizutul Akmal, had just give birth at the time and had gone to see Rohani as she wanted to continue her confinement at the Balkis hostel.

Rohani said the letter was prepared by the supervisor of Komplek Wawasan Balkis and she had signed it to help Hafizutul.

She admitted that signing the letter was an oversight as she was not the president of Balkis at the time.

Meanwhile Rohani said she had voted to dissolve the charity because that was the decision of the majority of the members .

She was evasive as to why members chose to dissolve Balkis but admitted the EGM may have been called before the March 8 last year because Barisan Nasional had a feeling their husbands may lose the general elections.

Khir can be referred to privileges committee

http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=31631

SHAH ALAM (March 27, 2009): Former Selangor menteri besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo (pix) can be referred to the State Assembly's Privileges Committee for failing to attend the Special Select Committee on Competence, Accountability and Transparency (Selcat) inquiry.

Mohd Khir and his wife, Datin Seri Zahrah Kechik, are among 11 witnesses ordered to explain the more than RM1 million sponsorship received by the Wives of Selangor State Assemblymen and MPs Charity and Welfare Organisation (Balkis) from state-owned and private companies.

Selcat chairman Teng Chang Khim said: "Any member in Selcat can refer Mohd Khir to the (state assembly) speaker who sits as the chairman of the privileges committee...and the committee can call for a meeting to deliberate on the matter (on Mohd Khir's absence to appear before Selcat).

"After that, going by convention of the Selangor State Assembly, the report will be submitted to the state assembly level for decision making."

He was speaking to reporters after chairing the public hearing on Balkis at the State Secretariat building near here, today.

The Selcat inquiry which started last Monday, is scheduled to run until March 31.

Teng, who is also Selangor state assembly speaker, said Zahrah, who was the then-chairman of Balkis, had committed an offence when she failed to appear at the Selcat inquiry, although she was instructed to do so.

"The next course of action will be to lodge a police report against her...our duty ends when we lodge the police report because the power of prosecution lies with the attorney-general (AG)," he said, adding he would instruct the Selcat secretary to make the report.

Earlier, Mohd Khir and his wife handed over a letter to Teng through their solicitors on March 23, stating they would not attend the Selcat inquiry.

According to Mohd Khir in the letter, Selcat was not valid as it had yet to receive clearance on its formation from the AG's Chambers.

Clarifying, Teng said: "There is no provision, either in the state constitution or the standing order of the house, which stipulates that setting up of a commitee of the house should be certified by the AG.

"The state legislative assembly is not subjected to the supervisions of the AG...furthermore, the AG is not even the legal advisor to the legislation," he added. -- Bernama

Khir Toyo faces assembly ban over Balkis case

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/21507-khir-toyo-faces-assembly-ban-over-balkis-case
By Neville Spykerman

SHAH ALAM, March 27 – Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo could be banned from the Selangor assembly while his wife faces possible police action for not attending the Balkis inquiry.

State speaker Teng Chang Khim said both are in contempt of the State Assembly when they failed to attend the Select Committee for Competence, Accountability and Transparency (Selcat) inquiry into Balkis, a charity set up by the former Barisan Nasional state government for their wives.

“It’s the Legislative Assembly which established Selcat and action can be taken against Dr Khir, who is a member of the Assembly, while his wife is liable for criminal action under Section 3 of the Contempt of the House Enactment 2008,” Teng said today.

Teng disclosed that any member of Selcat can refer the former Selangor Menteri Besar to the Privilege Committee while the Selcat secretary may lodge the police report against Zahrah.

“It will then be the responsibility of the police to conduct investigations and refer the report to the Attorney General (AG) Chambers to determine if she should be charged, in court.”

Teng said by convention, Dr Khir can be suspended, without pay from the Assembly.

On Monday, solicitors representing Dr Khir and Zahrah, sent letters informing the committee they would not be attending the public inquiry because Selcat did not have “certification” from the AG.

Teng said Dr Khir was ignorant of the state Constitution and Standing Orders which is the basis of the establishment of the Selcat.

“Selcat does not need certification because the State Assembly is a legislature and does not come under the supervision of the AG.”

Teng added no Barisan Nasional assemblyman, including Dr Khir had apposed the motion to establish Selcat when it was tabled in the state assembly last year.

“In fact, two Barisan Nasional members in Selcat had taken part in meetings and were in attendance on the first day of the public inquiry.”

In the inquiry today, Selangor Registrar of Society (ROS) deputy registrar Yunos Jamil admitted Balkis accounts were not audited by authorised auditors, when he supported an application to dissolve the charity.

Upon checking the accounts of the charity,which was submitted with the application to dissolve the Balkis, Yunos told the Selcat the accounts, were not signed by any auditor.

However in his earlier testimony, Yunos had said audited accounts were necessary before any society could be dissolved and he was satisfied that Balkis had fulfilled all requirements.

Yunos was at a loss to explained the discrepancy, which he described as an oversight, and argued that nothing could be done because the decision to dissolve Balkis was made by a minister, in Putrajaya.

But Teng pointed out that it was an offence for any one to submit fraudulent reports to the ROS under the Societies Act.

However, Yunos maintained his department was powerless to act.

Yunos also testified that Balkis had almost RM10 million in cash when it was dissolved but did not have a list of its other assets.

He is due to return before the Selcat on Monday.

Selcat head: Balkis AGM may be illegal

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/3/27/nation/3567630&sec=nation

SHAH ALAM: The annual general meeting called by the Wives of Selangor State Assemblymen and MPs Charity and Welfare Organisation (Balkis) to dissolve the organisation could be illegal.

The Selangor State Assembly’s Special Select Committee on Competence, Accountability and Transparancy (Selcat) chairman and assembly speaker Tang [sic] Chang Khim questioned the Selangor Registrar of Societies (ROS) how 70 people could have attended the AGM when most of them were reduced to being associate members after their husbands lost in the March 8 general election.

Balkis called for the AGM three days after the 12th general election last year and before Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim was sworn in as the new mentri besar.

ROS officer Tairah Yusoff told the inquiry that 70 out of the 100 Balkis members had attended the meeting and this surpassed the quorum requirement of 64.

Associate members have no voting rights and therefore have no clout to call for or second the dissolution of Balkis.

Tang disputed that Balkis had 100 members, given that the state only had 56 assemblymen, 22 MPs, five senators and the speaker before the 12th general election.

“Only 84 people qualified to become Balkis members, so how could the association have 100 members?” Tang [sic] asked Tairah.

The auditor appointed by Balkis, Yee Choon Kong, told the inquiry on Wednesday that he did not audit the 2008 accounts because the association had failed to provide him with the necessary documents.

Selangor Islamic Religious Council (Mais) employee Hafizatol Akmal Abdul Jalil said the electricity and water supplies to her quarters at the Balkis Complex were disconnected in a bid to evict her.

Speak up: Get back our money!

http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=31596

THE disclosures made at the hearing at Selangor State Assembly’s Select Committee on Competency, Accountability and Transparency are telling indeed. The testimonies and confessions that state-owned companies were cash cows for a select few must raise more than a few eyebrows. What transpired at a public hearing over the past four days suggests that wives of senior politicians paid no heed to laws, rules, regulations and procedures and instead chose to use these companies as their personal and private banks.

Holidays, air-tickets, souvenirs, gifts and other luxuries were showered on members of Balkis – the Association of Wives of State Elected Representatives in Selangor. In some instances, such privileges were demanded.

The money came from the state – state-owned companies to be precise and to an extent, companies owned by the people of Selangor.

Is the payment for four sets of sports attire justified? These are some of the questions that run through the minds of the man-in-the-street when he discovers that while some of his kinsmen don’t have a roof over their heads, there are people who are gallivanting around the world in the name of welfare and at the expense of the rakyat.

In view of what has already been discovered, the inevitable question is: What happens next?

While the state government may have succeeded in exposing the excesses of its predecessors, let’s not forget that millions of ringgit of people’s money was used to pay the expenses of a few, in the process throwing out all norms of common decency.

The state should make every effort to recoup whatever money that was misused. The law should be used to ensure that those who benefited by abusing state funds pay back every sen. That will be the icing on the cake for the rakyat whose hard-earned money was used in this series of (mis)adventures by a select few.

Dissolution of Balkis may have been illegal: Panel

By Tan Yi Liang
http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=31585

SHAH ALAM (March 26, 2009) : The dissolution of Balkis, the wives of Selangor elected representatives charity and welfare organisation, in March last year may have been illegal because there was no quorum, a member of the Selangor State Assembly's Select Committee on Competency, Accountability and Transparency (Selcat) suggested today.

Azmin Ali (Bukit Antarabangsa) said that according to Article 15(I) of the Balkis constitution, the organisation cannot be dissolved without the approval of at least two-thirds of its ordinary members.

"Because those present (at the dissolution meeting) were not ordinary members, the decision to dissolve the organisation was against the law," he said.

Azmin made his remarks when the select committee was questioning state Registrar of Societies officer Tairah Yusoff in its ongoing inquiry into excesses by Balkis.

"Why did ROS not take the responsibility to advise Putrajaya (the head office of ROS)?" he asked Tairah.

"This is your function and responsibility as a ROS state officer, as the constitution of Balkis was approved by the state ROS."

State Assembly Speaker Teng Chang Khim, who chaired the committee, also questioned Tairah on the matter.

"If the state office knew that several provisions were breached in the dissolution, why did the state ROS not advise the head office accordingly? he asked.

"The members who attended the meeting on March 11, 2008, were illegal members. Why did the state office keep quiet on this?"

Tairah replied: "This was the process and we did not know the rest. We looked at the constitution and the quorum. We don't know the rest."

Teng pointed out that it was insufficient to merely assume quorum was constituted based on mere numbers.

"The quorum is more than just numbers. One has to see the membership of the people in the quorum, whether they are all valid members. If they put in people who are not members, does that make it a valid quorum? It is not. You have to examine (the membership," he said.

Teng said the change in the state government after the March 8 general election had to be taken into account.

"On March 8, you knew that the previous ruling party had lost and that 34 seats had changed hands. This means that 34 members (of Balkis) had lost the right to be members. This means that out of the 70 who attended (the meeting), 34 were ineligible. This means there was no quorum," he said.

Azmin then told Tairah: "You testified that at the time, the new mentri besar (Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim) had not taken his oath of office yet. That means, there was some consideration (by ROS) at the state level.

"If you could think that the members (of Balkis) were valid as Tan Sri Khalid had yet to be sworn in, that means that a consideration was made."

He said the consideration was not the right one and that the question of whether the new mentri besar had been sworn in was a matter of procedure.

Azmin described the action of the Selangor ROS as a "political" one, to which Tairah disagreed."We do not go to that level of detail," she said.

"We do not check for the validity of members. I really did not go to that level of detail and I really did not know," she said, adding that the state assistant registrar would know such details.

Teng then asked Tairah to provide the details of the assistant registrar, who would be called to testify on a later date.

The other members of the select committee are Taman Medan assemblyman Haniza Talha, Ulu Kelang assemblyman Shaari Sungib, Bukit Gasing assemblyman Edward Lee, Dusun Tua assemblyman Ismail Sani (BN) and Permatang assemblyman Sulaiman Abdul Razak (BN).The inquiry continue today.

Speaker raps ROS for illegal dissolution of Balkis

By Neville Spykerman
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com.my/index.php/malaysia/21404-speaker-raps-ros-for-illegal-dissolution-of-balkis

SHAH ALAM, March 26 – More questions than answers were raised today during a public inquiry on the Wives of Selangor Elected Representative Charity Organisation (Balkis), which was dissolved by the Registrar of Societies (ROS) on Feb 11 this year.

Selangor Speaker Teng Chang Khim lashed out at the ROS for dissolving the charity based on an Emergency General Meeting (EGM) by members who had no voting rights in March 11 last year.

Selangor ROS officer Tairah Yusof, who continued her testimony before the Selangor Select Committee for Competency, Accountability and Transparency (Selcat), raised the ire of the committee when she admitted that no checks were made on the composition of Balkis members who voted to dissolve the charity.

In her testimony, Tairah said 70 out of the 100 Balkis members had attended the meeting to vote for the dissolution and this surpassed the quorum requirement of 64 members.

However, Teng asked Tairah how these 70 women – most of whom were no longer members as their husbands lost in the elections – could have voted. He said they were, at best, associate members who could not vote, according to their own constitution.

He added that based on records, Selangor had 56 assemblymen, 22 Parliamentarians, five senators and a speaker, so membership could not be more that 84.

“Even a Standard Three pupil will know the membership will not reach 100 and the ROS did not carry out its duties according to the Societies Act.”

Teng added that it’s the ROS that should be dissolved for failing to carry out its responsibilities.

The public inquiry continues tomorrow.

Behind the Scenes

www.coac.org.my/codenavia/portals/coacv2/code/main/main_art.php?parentID=0&artID=12404860592614

Efforts to get the Pakatan Rakyat-led Selangor State government to withdraw its appeal in the Federal Court began on the eve of the scheduled Federal Court hearing of the appeal by the four defendants on 15 April 2008, five weeks after the coalition came to power in the state.

However, at the dinner meeting with the Selangor Menteri Besar (Chief Minister) arranged by Selangor executive councillor and Bukit Lanjan Assemblyman Elizabeth Wong, COAC and lawyer friends did not manage to get the MB to withdraw the case then although he did direct the state legal adviser to ask for a postponement of the hearing pending further consideration of the matter.

In the interim, a briefing paper and several communications from COAC were exchanged with the state outlining the position of the Orang Asli and the reasons why the state government should withdraw the appeal. More engagement with the state government followed, especially through the good offices of Executive Councillor Elizabeth Wong, culminating in a Dialogue with the MB where 500 Orang Asli in Selangor attended as well as several State Assemblymen.

As an immediate consequence of this, the Selangor Orang Asli Land Task Force or Badan Bertindak Tanah Orang Asli Selangor (BBTOAS) was established, led by and comprised entirely of Orang Asli members in Selangor. The main function of the task force is to recommend to the state how best to solve the land problems faced by its Orang Asli.

But the issue of the Sagong Tasi appeal in the Federal Court was still on the cards. Through the efforts of Tricia Yeoh (the Special Adviser to the MB) and that of Jenita Engi (the Orang Asli assistant to the State EXCO member Elizabeth Wong), a special briefing for the Menteri Besar (Chief Minister) was held in the State Secretariat Building on 26 March 2009.

Special briefing for the Selangor Chief Minister, 26 March 2009, Shah Alam (CN 2009)

Apart from COAC, who presented on the background of the case and the history of Orang Asli land issues in the state, prominent lawyers Tuan Hj Sulaiman, Edmond Bon and Augustine Anthony presented the legal and moral argument for the recognition of native title rights for the Orang Asli.

Also present were Bah Tony who represented the Orang Asli community, the State Legal Adviser Datuk Zauyah Be Loth Khan and her assistant, as well as State Assemblymen Edward Lee and Nasir Hashim.

The special briefing and the preceding Dialogue with the Orang Asli must have helped clear all doubts the MB may have had regarding the virtue of pulling out of the Sagong Tasi appeal. For as recent as three months earlier, the MB had still expressed concerns about the implications and cost of such a move for the state government.

Then, knowing that the case was coming up for mention in the Federal Court the next day, the MB brought up the issue again at the state EXCO meeting on Wednesay, 21 April 2009. After some discussion, the EXCO members unanimously agreed to withdraw the Federal Court Appeal.

This is an important step in the settlement of the Sagong Tasi land rights case as the state government's involvement in the case, as a defendant, is that it claims to be the 'owner' of the lands acquired forcibly from the Orang Asli.

With the 'land owner' now willingly withdrawing its claim, it is difficult to see how the other 3 defendants - the Federal Gvernment, the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) and United Engineers Malaysia Berhad (UEM) - can sustain their case.

PNSB spent RM1mil on Balkis in 2007, CEO tells panel

By Wani Muthiah
http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/3/26/nation/3562867&sec=nation

SHAH ALAM: Permodalan Negeri Selangor Bhd (PNSB) spent about RM1mil in 2007 to sponsor a three-day sports event organised by the now defunct Wives of Selangor State Assemblymen and MPs Charity and Welfare Organisation (Balkis).

PNSB CEO Datin Khairiyah Abu Hassan, who testified before the Selangor State Assembly’s Select Committee on Competency, Accountability and Transparency (Selcat) yesterday, said purchases included sporting apparel for Balkis and the visiting contingent members.

Balkis was headed by former Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo’s wife Datin Seri Zaharah Kechik throughout his tenure as mentri besar.

PNSB also paid RM45,781.00 worth of souvenirs for VIP guests attending the event.

The committee, chaired by Selangor Legislative Assembly speaker Teng Chang Khim, also included Deputy Speaker and Taman Medan assemblyman Haniza Talha, Bukit Antarabangsa assemblyman Azmin Ali, Hulu Klang assemblyman Saari Sungib and Bukit Gasing assemblyman Edward Lee as well as Barisan Nasional’s assemblymen Sulaiman Abdul Razak (Permatang) and Ismail Sani (Dusun Tua).

The inquiry also heard that PNSB paid RM34,600 for a Hong Kong trip in March 2007 and RM88,388 for a trip to Tokyo in June the same year.

The committee also noted that PNSB only spent RM4,000 for a welfare scheme for single mothers in October 2007 as opposed to the large amount of money forked out to pay for Balkis activities.

Khairiyah had also said that PNSB made payments on behalf of Balkis without really knowing who the recipients were.

PNSB spent RM1m on Balkis event

By Wani Muthiah and Christina Tan
http://thestaronline.com/news/story.asp?file=/2009/3/25/nation/20090325160527&sec=nation

SHAH ALAM: Permodalan Negeri Selangor Bhd (PNSB) spent about a million ringgit in 2007 to sponsor a three-day sports event organised by the now defunct Wives of Selangor State Assemblymen and MPs’ Charity and Welfare Organisation (Balkis).

PNSB chief executive officer Datin Khairiyah Abu Hassan, who testified before the Selangor State Assembly’s Select Committee on Competency, Accountability and Transparency (Selcat) Wednesday, said purchases included sporting apparel for Balkis and visiting contingent members.

Balkis was headed by former mentri besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo’s wife Datin Seri Zaharah Kechik throughout his tenure as mentri besar from 2000 to 2008, when the state of Selangor fell to the Opposition.

Khairiyah said the National Sports Council had initially sponsored sporting attire for the contingent members but they were all of the wrong sizes.

Given this, she said PNSB had to cough up about RM100,000 to purchase new sporting apparel for the contingent members.

PNSB also paid another RM45,781 for souvenirs for VVIP guests attending the event.

Khairiyah also told Selcat that some of the instructions to sponsor the Balkis programme came from Dr Mohd Khir himself.

Selcat, chaired by Selangor Legislative Assembly Speaker Teng Chang Khim, also includes the Deputy Speaker Haniza Talha (assemblyman for Taman Medan), Azmin Ali (Bukit Antarabangsa), Saari Sungib (Hulu Klang) and Edward Lee (Bukit Gasing) as well as Barisan Nasional’s Sulaiman Abdul Razak (Permatang) and Ismail Sani (Dusun Tua).

The inquiry also heard that PNSB paid RM34,600 for a Hong Kong trip in March 2007 and RM88,388 for a trip to Tokyo in June the same year.

The conglomerate also paid RM14,900 for tickets to Melbourne for Zaharah and Khairiyah in December, 2007.

Upon being questioned by Selcat, Khairiyah said the trip was to visit Dr Mohd Khir and Zaharah’s son who is studying in Melbourne.

Khairiyah also revealed that PNSB paid the salaries of three officers who worked exclusively for Balkis.

Selcat also noted that PNSB only spent RM4,000 for a welfare programme for single mothers in October, 2007 as opposed to the large amount of money forked out to pay for Balkis activities.

Khairiyah told the inquiry on Tuesday that RM1mil was allocated annually by PNSB to Balkis from 2002 to 2007.

She had revealed that in addition to the RM1mil, PNSB also paid for various activities organised by Balkis such as a mass wedding for converts in 2003, which cost about RM53,000.

She had also admitted that PNSB made payments on behalf of Balkis without really knowing who the recipients were.

Khairiyah was also questioned as to why PNSB purchased a RM3,600 Summermen’s suit for Dr Mohd Khir in 2004 upon receiving a Balkis request, given that the recipient was Zaharah’s husband.

On the first day of the hearing on Monday, the inquiry heard how Zaharah had led a seven-member team, including an officer from the state investment arm Kumpulan Darul Ehsan (KDEB), on a shopping trip to Guangzhou, China in May, 2007.

KDEB president Datuk Abdul Karim Munisar admitted that the company paid RM206,574.89 for the souvenirs as well as RM17,000 for air tickets.

The souvenirs included a large amount of decorative flowers of various colours as well as 2,700 caps in blue, red and purple priced at RM8 each.

Azmin had also noted the invoice indicated the supplier was based in Kuala Lumpur and given this, added that he did not see why the entourage had to go all the way to China to make the purchases.

When his turn came to be grilled by Selcat, former Selangor Development Corp (PKNS) general manager Datuk Harun Salim said his organisation felt obliged to pick up the tab whenever Zaharah sent in a request.

When asked if Balkis was regarded as a privileged and special entity, Harun had said: “Honestly, I must say ‘yes’.”

PNSB foot RM338,000 bill for sports event organised by Balkis

By Tan Yi Liang
http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=31528

SHAH ALAM (March 25, 2009) : More than RM338,000 was spent for a Bakti sporting event hosted by Balkis, the wives of Selangor elected epresentatives charity and welfare organisation, in August 2007, the Selangor State Assembly's Select Committee on Competency, Accountability and Transparency (Selcat) heard today.

The amount included RM131,000 spent on sporting attire, Datin Khairiyah Abu Hassan, chief executive officer of the state-owned Permodalan Negeri Selangor Bhd (PNSB), told Selcat which is investigating execesses by Balkis.

Selcat is chaired by Assembly Speaker Teng Chang Khim while its members are Bukit Antarabangsa state assemblyman Azmin Ali, Taman Medan assemblyman Haniza Talha, Ulu Kelang assemblyman Shaari Sungib, Bukit Gasing assemblyman Edward Lee, Dusun Tua assemblyman Ismail Sani (BN), and Permatang assemblyman Sulaiman Abdul Razak (BN).

"The sportswear purchased by PNSB were tracksuits for 400 people and 180 liaison officers and everyone got four pairs," Khairiyah who was continuing her testimony from yesterday, said.

She said the sportswear was originally provided by the Malaysian Sports Council (MSN) but had failed to meet the criteria set by Balkis.

"MSN should have supplied the sportswear but as they did not meet the Balkis specification, we were directed to buy new ones," she said.

Khairiyah said only three sports were organised for the games -- telematch, bowling and badminton.

"The total amount, RM338,000, looks like (it is for) a big sporting event but only telematches (were played). And if we look at other sporting events, the contingents have to prepare their own sportswear, while here, the organisers are supplying it," he said.

Teng commented that it was not the norm for organisers to provide the apparel for sporting events.

Khairiyah corrected Teng and said the amount was also for the staff who had helped in the three-day long games.

"They were for the drivers, the police and other staff," she said, adding that the purchases included packed meals. He then pointed out that in the programme given to them, no telematch was listed

This was countered by Khairiyah, who said that in her schedule, the telematches were listed for Aug 4.

"But our programme does not show this. All it shows on that date is a team-building exercise at Sunway Lagoon Theme Park," said Teng.

Khairiyah then added that over RM 30,000 was paid by PNSB for three pairs of batik wear for the Sultan of Selangor, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, and the wife of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Jeanne Abdullah, before being asked to testify on a 2007 trip by the wife of former Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Khir Toyo, Datin Zahrah Kechik to visit her son in Melbourne.

When asked about the trip, Khairiyah told the committee that she had received instructions directly from Zahrah for PNSB to foot the bill for the trip and to accompany her on the three day visit.

Over RM14, 000 was spent to purchase return business class and economy class tickets sometime in December 2007, she said, adding that the trip was not an official visit.

Khairiyah was then asked by Teng about a Balkis charity visit to Cambodia in 2002, where USD11,000 was listed as being set aside for "contingency" expenses, while the other expenses, including the donations made were listed in Ringgit Malaysia.

Khairiyah replied that the other expenses were also paid in US Dollars, but were not converted in the accounts.

When grilled about a gift of a watch worth almost RM160,000 by PNSB to Khir Toyo, who was then chairman of PNSB, she said it was merely a "token of appreciation" which had been decided unanimously by the board.

"A token is something small, given as a small mark of appreciation. A certificate is a token," quipped Teng, who asked why the gift was given discreetly, when it was intended as a show of appreciation.

In response, Khairiyah said that Khir had declined the gift, and it had been sold for double the original price.

However, Teng pointed out that the accounts showed that the watch was sold for the same price it was bought.

The inquiry continues tomorrow.

State assembly recordings

A list of 2008 and 2009 state assembly recordings can be found here:

http://multimedia.selangor.gov.my/main.php?Content=vertsections&SubVertSectionID=8&VertSectionID=3&CurLocation=3&IID=

Balkis received huge cash payments from Selangor Government

By Neville Spykerman
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/21196-balkis-received-huge-cash-payments-from-selangor-government

SHAH ALAM, March 24 — Paid trips to Cambodia and Indonesia, cash payments, a mass wedding for converts, and expensive gifts for VIPs, all in the name of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), dominated day two of a public inquiry into the Wives of Selangor Elected Representatives Charity Organisation (Balkis).

Today, it was the turn of Permodalan Negri Selangor Berhad (PNSB) chief executive officer Datin Khairiyah Abu Hassan to be “grilled” by the Selangor Select Committee for Competency, Accountability and Transparency (Selcat), over funds which was provided to Balkis since 2002.

Khairiyah, who was accompanied by four aides, disclosed that it was a common practice for the state subsidiary to adhere to all “request” for funds from Balkis, which amounted to between almost RM500,000 to RM1.6 million, annually.

Khairiyah told the committee headed by Selangor speaker Teng Chang Khim that as a state subsidiary it adopted a “compromising attitude” as they wanted to support the state in all projects which improved the

image of the administration.

Khairiyah, who was deputy CEO in 2002, disclosed that it was “usual practice” for Balkis officials to make verbal requests for project funds, and it was not unusual for the payments to be made in cash.

During the inquiry she said the “instructions” were sometimes made over the phone but she later retracted and used the term ‘request’ instead which prompted Teng to remind her that she was testifying under oath.

She admitted she had a close relationship with former Balkis president Datin Zahrah Kechik, who is the wife of former Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Khir Toyo,and added there was no committee to scrutinise the

“request” for funds or how the money was used.

Khairiyah said all requests were approved by the PNSB board collectively.

In 2002, PNSB funded a journey of repentance and self-realisation (Keinsafan) for Balkis members. A total of RM82,000 was paid and the money was used to food, accommodation and humanitarian projects as well as an allowance of RM3,000 for a reporter.

Khairiyah said RM38,000 was dispensed in cash and PNSB did not receive a receipt for the money.

In the same year, Balkis also received RM250,000 of which RM100,000 was in cash, to run a motivational camp for SPM students.

Khairiyah said she is not sure what the cash was used for and did not know who ran the course or why the money needed to be paid in cash.

In 2003, PNSB allocated RM1.65 million to Balkis of which RM148,280 was used to fund a mass wedding of 51 couples who were new converts at Dewan Belia and Sukan in Shah Alam.

Almost RM90,000 was spent on food for the estimated 1,500 guests at the wedding and Khairiah admitted there was no proper documentation on how the rest of the money was spent.

“It is negligence and carelessness on our part,” she admitted.

Khairiyah was at a loss to explained why huge amounts of cash was being dispensed to Balkis over the year and who received the money.

In 2004, PNSB paid RM3,600 for a “Summermen” suit for its then chairman Dr Mohd Khir Toyo as a souvenir for attending a Chinese New Year function, contrary to General Orders that gifts should not cost more than RM1,000 .

In the same year PNSB paid RM16,000 for Balkis members to go on a trip to Bukit Tinggi, Indonesia.

Meanwhile in 2006, PNSB paid RM50,000, in cash, for the opening of Complex Wawasan Balkis in Shah Alam, RM13,000 for food and a singer for a Buka Puasa dinner and RM25,000 for several tables at a

Balkis charity dinner.

In 2007, PNSB paid RM338,547.97 for the Balkis annual sports event of which RM33,000 was used to buy uniforms for participants.

Teng remarked that PNSB had functioned like a cashier to Balkis and added the Select Committee was concerned with the lack of corporate governance by the state subsidiary.

The inquiry continues tomorrow.

PNSB supported Balkis' 'repentance programme' in Cambodia

By Maria J.Dass
http://sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=31461

SHAH ALAM (March 24, 2009) : Permodalan Negeri Selangor Bhd (PNSB) sponsored part of a "repentance programme" in Cambodia organised by Balkis -- the wives of Selangor elected representatives' charity and welfare organisation -- in August 2002, the Selangor State Assembly's Select Committee on Competency, Accountability and Transparency (Selcat) heard today.

PNSB CEO Datin Khairiyah Abu Hassan said PNSB paid RM82,227 for that trip, including more than RM19,000 for library books, RM25,000 for accommodation and transportation for four people, inclusive of RM3,000 allowance for reporters and crew, and RM10,000 for the production of a video clip on Balkis.

Testifying before the Selcat on the second day of a public hearing probing into excesses of Balkis which obtained its funding from the state government and several state owned companies, she said the "repentance programme" involved the repair of a library, purchase of books and cash contributions to orphanages and families living in Muslim villages in Cambodia.

Selcat is chaired by Assembly Speaker Teng Chang Khim while its members are Bkit Antarabangsa state assemblyman Azmin Ali, Taman Medan assemblyman Haniza Talha, Ulu Kelang assemblyman Shaari Sungib, Bukit Gasing assemblyman Edward Lee, Dusun Tua assemblyman Ismail Sani (BN), and Permatang assemblyman Sulaiman Abdul Razak (BN).

Khairiyah: "This was a programme designed to make people repent."

Teng: Who repented?

Khairiyah: Both sides repented. Because when those who visited the country saw how much of suffering there was, they repented.

Teng: So those who were suffering saw that we were rich, and so they too repented?

Khairiyah then said she reserved her comment on the terminology used as it was one that was coined by Balkis.

Azmin: So, did you notice a change or a tinge of repentance in those who went for the trip?

Khairiyah: That is subjective.

Haniza:"Why did the company agreed to sponsor a programme in Cambodia. Is there a lack of poor in this country that you have to go all the way to Cambodia to help?"

Khairiyah: There were 40 other people on the trip, including Balkis members, non-governmental organisation (NGO) representatives, corporate figures and the media.

Balkis president Datin Sri Zaharah Kechik headed the entourage, but PNSB only paid for four of them.

Khairiyah had earlier said that since 2002, PNSB had set aside RM1 million as annual allocation for Balkis every year.

Responding to a question on why PNSB had breached this allocation by giving Balkis RM1.6 million in 2003, she said: "We did not want to say no to a state programme. We have to support state programmes, as a state subsidiary, we are devoted to this."

She agreed that PNSB supported Balkis because it represented the wives of the elected representatives.

Khairiyah who assumed the post of CEO in 2007 from her previous post of Deputy CEO II (a post she held from 2002) admitted that although in some instances PNSB received formal letters from Balkis requesting for contributions, it was common practice for PNSB to disburse payments upon oral requests.

She also conceded that there were times when no receipts or acknowledgement of receiving the payment was received from the organisation.

Asked if PNSB was a cashier for Balkis as they paid up large and even small amounts for sundry expenses upon request she said: "We have the allocated budget for Balkis (RM1 million annually) so we pay accordingly."

She admitted negligence in some instances where large expenses like RM53,000 for a mass wedding reception for new converts to Islam were not recorded clearly by the accounts department, and in the process received an earful from Teng.

Teng : "This is the rakyat’s money and here there is no record or detail on how it is spent, do you know the meaning of amanah (trust)"?"

Khairiyah: "It is to manage something to the best of our abilities."

She also said that PNSB was apolitical when questioned how in 2003 money from the company was used to disbursed Hari Raya hampers to all constituencies in the state except two under the opposition reign during that time.

Khairiyah was also asked to explain how the company could approve the purchase of a RM3,600 Summermen’s suit consisting of a jacket and a pair of pants requested by Balkis for then Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohd Khir Toyo knowing very well that he and Balkis president Datin Seri Zahrah Kechik were husband and wife.

The suit was presented to Mohd Khir at a Chinese New Year event organised by Balkis in 2004.

Khairiyah had earlier disclosed that she was quite close to Zahrah.

Azmin: "Don’t you know that the general orders for civil servants states that they are not allowed to receive gifts worth more than RM1,000."

Khairiyah: "I am not aware of this, I was just asked to purchase the item for Balkis, and at that time I was just the implementor."

Khairiyah was also grilled about a Balkis "humanitarian" and "financial support" programme in Bukit Tinggi in Indonesia which objective was ostensibly to "learn about the lifestyle and the Malay archipelago in Indonesia".

Haniza: "What was the RM16,000 PNSB contributed for? Was there a calamity for humanitarian funds to be paid out?"

Khairiyah: The RM16,000 was to pay for a RM5,000 dinner for 50 pax, a RM5,000 lunch for 50 pax while the remaining RM11,000 was for contingency.

She said she had also gone on that trip with 49 other people and added that the trip was headed by Zahrah.

Khairiyah was also questioned about a RM13,000 payment for food and entertainment which PNSB paid for a charity concert dubbed "Malam Seroja" organised by Balkis. She said the RM13,000 was paid to Abdul Malik Kechik the caterer for the event who also arranged for the singer.

The hearing continues tomorrow with Khairiyah scheduled to explain RM33,000 in expenditure for sports attire that PNSB purchased for Balkis members and delegations to a sports event put together by the organisation.

KDEB paid for flight tickets of Balkis members to go souvenier shopping

By Maria J Dass
http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=31421

SHAH ALAM (March 23, 2009) : Kumpulan Darul Ehsan Bhd (KDEB) paid for the flight tickets of seven members of the now defunct Selangor assemblymen and MPs wives charity organisation (Balkis) for a “souvenier shopping” trip to Guangzhou, China on May 2007.

The cost of flight tickets for one business class and six economy class seats was RM17,438, KDEB head Datuk Abdul Karim Munisar told the Select Committee on Competance, Accountability and Transparency (Selcat) of the Selangor State Assembly on the first day of its probe into contributions disbursed to Balkis.

Abdul Karim said the company paid more than RM206,000 for the souvenirs from China which included a few hundred stalks of artificial flowers in various colours and 2,700 hats – 900 in red, yellow and purple colours respectively.

This was despite the fact that the invoice indicates that the supplier has a local branch based in Kuala Lumpur. The entire cost was absorbed by KDEB which is a state investment arm under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme.

Abdul Karim added that KDEB had spent a total RM65,300 to buy Songket material to be given as gifts to the Sultan, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed and Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali at a function hosted by Balkis in February 2006 and about RM25,000 for souvenir chocolates.

The company also paid RM100,000 for dinner organised by Balkis at the Sunway Lagoon Resort and Spa Hotel on July 24, 2007. This was a week before the association co-hosted three dinners costing RM450,000.

The first two dinners on Aug 2 and 3 were held at the same venue and the third on Aug 4 was held at the Sunway Lagoon Theme Park hotel. The cost was borne by the state government with the approval of the financial officer and endorsement of the executive council (exco).

Grilled by the Selcat which is chaired by Selangor state assembly speaker Teng Chang Khim on Monday over these payments KDEB made under its CSR programme president Karim Munisar said: “We do not question the relevance of this as it was determined by the previous state government, and there are no criteria or guidelines. Now KDEB is under a new government and if they change the policy and stipulate guidelines pertaining CSR programmes, then we will adhere to it.”

Karim was one of the four witnesses who testified before the seven member Selcat panel made up of five Pakatan Rakyat assemblymen and two Barisan Nasional representatives.

The other Selcat members are Bkit Antarabangsa state assemblyman Azmin Ali, Taman Medan assemblyman Haniza Talha, Ulu Kelang assemblyman Shaari Sungib, Bukit Gasing assemblyman Edward Lee, Dusun Tua assemblyman Ismail Sani (BN), and Permatang assemblyman Sulaiman Abdul Razak (BN).

He said if the president approves the appeal for funding from organisations like Balkis then the board would have to endorse it.

Asked what would happen if he had not approved it, Karim replied: “Susah lah! (that’s hard)”.

Several state company representatives and their subsidiaries also admitted that they were obliged to pay for the cost incurred by Balkis saying it was a practice which they did not question.
The heads and former managers of the companies said that although they agreed to pay for expenditures, the approvals were based on estimates.

The final cost would be paid to suppliers based on based on bills that Balkis forwarded to the companies.

Earlier during the morning session, state secretary Datuk Ramli Mahmud said the CSR guidelines for state companies are determined by the companies themselves and that there was no fixed guideline.

“It is for the CEOs to decide on based on their budget allocations,” he said.

Ramli also denied that where the state was concerned there was no special treatment for Balkis as the organisation had to write in to ask for financial assistance if they wanted it.

He said the RM450,000 contribution for Balkis dinner at the Sunway Lagoon Resort and Spa Hotel and the Sunway Lagoon Theme Park Hotel were a one-off contribution to the organisation and the state took into account the fact that the organisation was run by the wives of state representatives.

We received the endorsement of the state executive council (exco) and the financial officer to host the three events which wives of elected representatives from all 13 states in the country attended , with Balkis as the co-host, he added. Meanwhile former Perbadanan Kemajuan Negeri Selangor (PKNS) general manager Datuk Harun Salim agreed with the committee when asked if PKNS was a “tukang bayar” (pay master) for Balkis as the association would forward its bills to the company to be paid. He said the organisation would usually forward requests to the company to sponsor some of its programmes and admitted that the company usually felt obliged to support Balkis. Harun however denied that he was concerned about repercussions if he did not endorse the sponsorships because he said his performance and the profits of the company were good. Therefore this was not a reason he took into account when approving the soponsorships. PKNS and its subsidiaries had also contributed large sums to Balkis including RM300,000 for the three dinners held on Aug 2,3 and 4. Pebadanan Kemajuan Pertanian Selangor (PKPS) Mohd Nordin Darhan who also testified before Selcat said the company had on Jan 2006 contributed RM46,000 for the officiating of Balkis complex in Section 7, Shah Alam including the cost of 150 fruit hampers for guests.

Khir and wife not attending Balkis inquiry

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/3/23/nation/3536072&sec=nation

SHAH ALAM: Former Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo said he and his wife will not attend the state government’s Special Select Committee on Competence, Accountability and Transparency (Selcat) inquiry today.

The inquiry which is scheduled to run until next Tuesday, is held to probe the RM1mil sponsorship received by the Wives of Selangor State Assemblymen and MPs Charity and Welfare Organisation (Balkis).

Dr Khir’s wife, Datin Seri Zahrah Kechik, headed the now defunct organisation.

When contacted, Dr Mohd Khir said he would not be attending the inquiry.

“My lawyers will be handing over a letter to the Speaker (Teng Chang Khim) and so my wife and I won’t be attending,” he added.

He said that among the issues highlighted in the letter was Selcat’s validity as it had yet to receive clearance on its formation from the Attorney General’s Chambers.

“Its formation has not been endorsed at the Federal level as per requirement,” added Dr Mohd Khir.

He said there were also other discrepancies that questioned the legality of the inquiry.

Balkis was an association registered under the Registrar of Societies (ROS) and not in any way part of the state government, he said.

“Furthermore, I have never been a Balkis member,” Dr Mohd Khir said.

He added that Balkis had been investigated by the police and cleared of any wrongdoing with regards to the management of its funds.

“Given this, the inquiry is not relevant and there is no need for me and my wife to attend it,” he reiterated.

Dr Mohd Khir and Zaharah are among 11 witnesses summoned to give evidence at the inquiry.

Selangor retrenchment helpline

Do sign up if you've been retrenched, or pass on the word if you know of someone who's been retrenched.

Date: Saturday and Sunday, 14 and 15 March 2009
Time: 8.30 am - 12 noon
Venue: PJ field (opposite Amcorp Mall)

Ed attending to fire victims

9 March 2009, 1.30 am
Jalan 1/10, Old Town, PJ

A fire broke out at a house along Jalan 1/10 that razed it to the ground. The neighbouring house caught fire and was partially damaged.

The fire brigade arrived 20 minutes after an emergency call was made.

Ed provided immediate monetary aid to the victims to help compensate for their loss.

Orang Asli in Dialogue with Selangor Government

By Jenita Engi

Special assistant to YB Elizabeth Wong and chief organiser of the dialogue
www.coac.org.my/codenavia/portals/coacv2/code/main/main_art.php?parentID=0&artID=12367410689464

Orang Asli from all over Selangor gathered in Bukit Lanjan for the first-ever Dialogue with the Cheif Minister. Several state assemblymen from the ruling Peoples' Alliance government also came to hear what the Orang Asli had to say.

On Sunday, 1st March 2009, a dialogue between the Orang Asli and the Menteri Besar (Chief Minister) of Selangor was held at the community hall in Desa Temuan, Damansara Perdana (formerly Bukit Lanjan). About 500 Orang Asli from all the 7 districts in Selangor attended viz. Kuala Selangor, Hulu Langat, Kuala Langat, Petaling, Gombak, Klang, Sepang and Hulu Selangor. Several Pakatan Rakyat state assemblymen also attended.

This first-ever dialogue was initiated by the new Pakatan Rakyat state government in order for it to closely understand the problems faced by the Orang Asli and also to look for solutions to their problems.

State Asemblyman Edward Lee, standing in for Bukit Lanjan Assemblyman Elizabeth Wong,
addressing the Orang Asli at the start of the Dialogue session.

The dialogue session began with a presentation by Dr. Colin Nicholas on the status of Orang Asli customary land in Selangor in the past and today. The 10-minute presentation showed how Orang Asli lands were recognized in history and acknowledged by the government and leaders in the past, why these lands were never considered sulatanate lands, and how Orang Asli customary title was removed in recent years in contradiction to several court judgments in the Orang asli's favour.

Amri Jamil (top) giving a general situationer on the problems faced by the Orang Asli of Selangor while Tijah Yok Chopil relates her experience with the opposition-controlled Perak state government.

The issue of land was the focus of this dialogue, given that this issue has yet to be resolved amicably in the state. The main discussant, Amri Jamil, who is also the chair of POASM-Selangor, stressed how land was the life-blood of the Orang Asli and that this was so since early times.

The representative of the Perak Orang Asli, Tijah Yok Chopil, shared how under the opposition Pakatan Rakyat state government, the Perak Orang Asli Land Task Force was established with full Orang Asli membership and leadership.

Bob Manolan, the Orang Asli representative from Pahang, then shared about the case of an Orang Asli land grab in Bera which had occurred without the consent of the community. He also explained the actions taken by the community there.

In his speech, the Menteri Besar of Selangor, Tan Sri Dato' Khalid Ibrahim, said he was agreeable to establishing an Orang Asli Land Task Force in Selangor. He hoped that this task force would help resolve the Orang Asli land issue in the state and would work together with the already-established Selangor Land Task Force.

The Menteri Besar also said that the state government, under the new leadership, would assist in the welfare of the Orang Asli. It will see to it that Orang Asli born in the state would benefit from the Selangor Citizens Fund, get access to welfare programmes, enjoy free metered water, and such.

Temuans from Bukit lanjan and Bukit Tampoi expressing their community's grievances to the Menteri Besar.

The much-awaited question-and-answer session then followed, moderated by State assembyman Edward Lee. Orang Asli representatives from the various districts, including Batin Perat anak Dolah (Mah Meri) from Kuala Langat, Puan Elan from Bukit Lanjan (Temuan) and Yusop Alip from Bukit Bangkong (Temuan), put forward several questions to the Menteri Besar touching on land rights, access to development resources, as well as on educational support for Orang Asli children.

This dialogue session was organized by the Selangor State Government with the cooperation of POASM-Selangor and the Indigenous Peoples Network of Malaysia, JOAS.

The session ended with the presentation of a memorandum to the Menteri Besar by the family of Gadoh anak Bujang from Bukit Unggul (Temuan) as representatives of the Orang Asli of Selangor.

*more pics here.