www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=37866
SHAH ALAM (Sept 9, 2009): Applications for allocations by Selangor state assemblymen were fast-tracked for approval due to the 2008 general elections, the Select Committee on Competency, Accountability and Transparency (Selcat) panel heard today.
 |
| Teng Chang Khim |
Bakhiar, assistant district officer Sulaiman Abdul Rahman, chief clerk Ali Abdullah and an assistant accountant Ismail Hussin were questioned about how more than RM4 million worth of annual allocation for use by assemblymen in constituencies within the Klang district was used up within the first two months of 2008.
The officers frequently came under fire from Selcat chairman Teng Chang Khim for giving vague and contradictory answers during the hearing today.
Bakthiar, in his testimony, claimed applications for allocations were fast-tracked for approval due to the general elections, as “as the money was needed to pay for small development projects and community programmes.
“We needed to release the money to ensure that it would be used to create an impact on the rakyat,” he said.
Teng: How was one year’s allocation spent in one-and-a-half months?
Bakhtiar: Personally this allocation is to be used for community programmes, small projects and in extraordinary circumstances like when there is a general election. As administrators, we adapt to the situation and ensure that the expenditure is spent according to the regulations set by the state government that will also monitor the spending.
Teng: But do you think it is prudent to spend an entire year’s allocation so much so when the new state administration took office there was nothing left?. This is the rakyat’s money that is being spent.
Bakhtiar: My job is to follow the circular issued.
He also said that it is a norm for additional allocations to be approved by the state for assemblymen to spend in their constituencies and that the vouchers issued for payment and signed on Feb 13 were for projects and programmes already implemented.
Teng: “Does it make sense to you that 171 projects and programmes were implemented in one constituency from Jan 1 to Feb 13?”
However, the district officer did not give a satisfactory response, prompting Teng to say: “Don’t dig your own graves, I will give you some time to sort this out among yourselves” and adjourned the hearing for a few minutes.
This is the second Selcat hearing and is targeted at examining the expenditure of assemblymen in the state from January 2008 to June 2009 and to determine how more than RM2.7 million was spent within the first three months of 2008 by 54 Barisan Nasional assemblymen, many of whom lost their seats in the March 2008 general elections.
In his testimony, Ali said that the officers in the district office were involved directly with preparations for the 2008 general elections and that during that time, there was a surge in application for allocations from assemblymen.
“We worked up till midnight to process this by the end of Feb 13,” he said, adding that an application is approved as soon as it is received from an assemblyman unless the claim does not fulfil the necessary criteria.
But when questioned why applications continued to be processed even after parliament and state legislative assemblies had been dissolved, the clerk claimed they (the staff) may not have been aware.
Teng: But you just said that you were up until midnight on Feb 13 to process the claims for the elections.
Fellow Selcat panelist Haniza Mohamed Talha also asked Ali: “You also just said that you (officers in the district office) were involved directly with the elections, so how come now you are saying that you may not have known?”
Teng: Please don’t tell me fairy tales. I remind you that you are under oath and if you are wrong and we prove it you will be in trouble.
Ali then chose to end his testimony and switched off his mike, prompting Teng to ask if there was an instruction to process the payments.
Bakthiar, in reply, said there was no instruction to process the payments, but “it was an understanding”.
Later, when speaking to reporters in his office, a visibly upset Teng hit out at the officers. “These officers are in a position to stop abuse and misuse of funds by assemblymen – from whichever party they are from,” he said.
“But today’s witnesses seemed to have adapted the “I only follow orders” attitude and are not interested in giving their professional input or suggestions on how things can be improved,” he added.
The Selcat panel is made up of Teng who is also state legislative assembly speaker, his deputy Haniza Talha, Mohamed Azmin Ali (Bukit Antarabangsa), Saari Sungib (Hulu Klang) and Edward Lee (Bukit Gasing).
This hearing began on Tuesday and is scheduled to go on until Sept 15, with a break over the weekend, at the state legislative assembly Annexe building.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment