GEORGE TOWN: A non-governmental organisation has lodged a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) against two Penang Island City Council (MBPP) councillors for alleged abuse of power.
Persatuan Surplus Pulau Pinang chairman Sophian Mohd Zain urged the commission to probe the matter thoroughly.
He said the first case involved councillor Sharuddin Shariff who lives in a public housing unit in Sungai Pinang despite receiving a monthly allowance of RM4,000 from the council.
"This is not right at all," he said before lodging the report accompanied by former MBPP councillor Syazwani Mohd Amin.
Sophian also lodged another report against councillor Azrizal Tahir whom he alleged held two state-appointed posts.
He said Azrizal as a councillor should not have held the Village and Security Development Committee (JKKK) post and receive allowances from both positions.
When contacted, Azrizal urged the complainant not to trouble the MACC by asking them to probe cases with no basis.
He said those who lodge such reports should do their homework first.
"A press conference will be arranged to explain the matter soon," he said briefly.
Source: Edmund Lee newsdesk@thesundaily.com
MACC reports filed against PKR duo
GEORGE TOWN: Two PKR’s Penang Island city councillors have denied any wrongdoings as alleged by two non-governmental organisations which lodged reports with the state anti-graft body.
One of them, a four-term councillor, said there were no rules or regulations to prevent a councillor from becoming a village development and security committee (JKKK) chairman.
“But under a state policy which was enforced last year, we were advised not to hold the two positions at the same time.
“I have since let go of my JKKK post. I urge the complainants to check with the district office first and not to hurl baseless allegations against us,” he said when contacted.
Earlier, two NGOs – Persatuan Kebajikan Surplus Pulau Pinang and Kota – lodged reports with the Penang MACC over the alleged wrongdoings of the two councillors in Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah yesterday.
Persatuan Kebajikan Surplus chairman Sophian Mohd Zain claimed one councillor was the JKKK chairman of Permatang Damar Laut.
“A councillor receives allowance from the local government while a JKKK post is appointed by the state government. This is a conflict of interest.
“We hope the state government will clear the air in the name of CAT (Competency, Accountability and Transparency),” he said.
Also present was former councillor Noor Syazwani Md Amin, who was terminated from her post in April.
Sophian also claimed that a first-term councillor still had a People’s Housing Programme (PPR) flat in Sungai Pinang despite having an allowance of RM4,000.
The maximum eligible household monthly income for a PPR applicant is RM2,500.
A councillor is entitled up to RM1,200 in allowances for attending meetings and a RM300 mobile phone subsidy.
“How could he still be holding the key to a PPR flat for a RM100 monthly rental? The PPR flats are meant for the poor.
“The councillors are the policy makers in the local government while the PPR flats are under the purview of the council.
“I don’t think the council staff would dare to act against the councillors,” he added.
Sophian hoped the MACC would investigate the matter.
The said councillor could not be reached for comment.
Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) will call up Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and Penanti assemblyman Dr Norlela Ariffin to facilitate investigations into the Sungai Lembu's illegal factory case.
GEORGE TOWN: Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and Penanti assemblyman Dr Norlela Ariffin are expected to be called up by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to give statements over the illegal factory in Kampung Sungai Lembu, Bukit Mertajam.
MACC deputy chief commissioner (operations) Datuk Azam Baki confirmed that both would have their statements recorded at a suitable time.
“This is a normal procedure to call up them up as they have talked about the matter publicly.
“Their statements are needed to complete the investigations,” he said.
Sunday Star reported that the MACC is investigating two letters, which appear to have originated from state executive Councillor Phee Boon Poh, asking that no action be taken against an illegal factory.
The letters, written in 2015 and 2016, directed the Seberang Prai Municipal Council (MPSP) from shutting down the carbon filter-processing factory which has been operating illegally for the past 10 years.
Phee was remanded five days since Saturday together with factory director Edmund Gan Eu Leong, 37, and his father Gan Buck Hee, 70, who is the factory manager.
It is understood that a third MPSP officer has also been summoned to give his statement.
On Friday, two officers from the Enforcement Department and the Licensing Department were also called up.
“They were not arrested,” Azam said.
He added that the MACC also conducted several raids and seized documents from Phee’s office at Komtar and his house in Sungai Puyu.
Yesterday, MACC officers spent more than an hour at his service centre in Jalan Ong Yi How in Butterworth. With them was Phee.
It was learnt that the MACC also raided two of his houses in Butterworth yesterday.
In Alor Setar, an attempt by lawyers representing Phee and two others to quash their remand order was rejected by the High Court.
Judge Hashim Hamzah told Ramkarpal Singh, R.S.N Rayer and Dev Kumaraendran that their application should have been filed at the Penang High Court as it was the “suitable forum” for the matter.
Ramkarpal said they would file an application at Penang High Court today.
The MACC and several enforcement agencies first raided the factory on Thursday following complaints from villagers that its fumes could affect their health.
Meanwhile, MCA religious harmony bureau chairman Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker criticised DAP for “bullying and blaming” Dr Norlela for her request to the authorities to take action against the factory.
He said DAP cannot play the victim card now because Malaysians are beginning to see the party’s hypocrisy when it comes to corruption issues.
“DAP should allow the MACC to do its work without any hindrance and own up when their leaders are embroiled in corruption,” Ti said in a statement.
Transparency International Malaysia president Datuk Akhbar Satar said MACC should be allowed to investigate the case professionally and fairly without fear or favour.
“Let the due process take its course and let us wait for the outcome of the investigations,” he said.
Source: The Star by Crystal Chiam Shiying and Lo Tern Chern
Norlela did the right thing - She's merely fulfilling her duty to constituents, says state Gerakan Chief
https://youtu.be/QFy-cEpbEiI
Geroge Town - State Gerakan chairman Teng Chang Yeow has defended Penanti’s PKR assemblyman Dr Norlela Ariffin, who has been voicing out concerns on the illegal factory operation in Kampung Sungai Lembu.
"What we are concerned about is that the matter had been dragged on for so long. "Her complaints fell on deaf ears for so long, so you can't penalized her. "She has raised it many times, in the state assembly, to the authorities and Village Security and Development Committee, but there was no action," he told a press conference after attending the State Delegates' Conference 2017 at the state Gerakan Heeadquaters in Macalister Road yesterday.
It was reported that Dr. Norlela denied that she was responsible for the action being taken against an illegal carbon filter processing factory in Kampung Sungai Lembu.
She refuted the accusations in a Facebook post on Saturday, saying that she had highlighted complaints from her constituents.
Dr. Norlela said she was disappointed that she was blamed for the arrest of state exco member Phee Boon Poh.
Commenting on several past actions against Dr. Norlela, including having a state allocation to her constituency withheld pending her written explanation for not attending the Yang di-Pertua Negri's swearing-in ceremony in May, Teng said Gerakan may have differences with other Barisan National component parties, but it never penalized them.
He said that when Gerakan led the government, he had faced criticisms from MCA representatives but no action was taken against them.
Gerakan president Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong opened the event. - The Star
Gerakan defends PKR's Norlela over Penang illegal factory issue
GEORGE TOWN: Penanti assemblyman Dr Norlela Ariffin should not be penalised for speaking up on the illegal factory in Kampung Sungai Lembu, said state Gerakan chairman Teng Chang Yeow today.
“Being the state assemblyman of the constituency, she had every right to raise questions about the illegal factory.
“She was merely performing her duty,” he said during a press conference here, today.
He was responding to Norlela’s claim that she was treated like a criminal after expressing her gratitude to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for taking action against the illegal factory.
“Thank you to the MACC for solving the issues which have been plaguing the villagers there. We have been doing our best to help the villagers,” she had said in a Facebook posting recently.
She had said that in May this year, she received an 18-page petition, signed by 180 villagers, objecting against the illegal carbon filter factory.
“I raised several questions at the state legislative assembly sitting the same month. The state environment committee chairman had said the factory was burning 2,000 tonnes of sawdust monthly to be turned into activated carbon for water filters,” she had said.
On Thursday, MACC and other agencies raided the factory in Bukit Mertajam after numerous complaints to the authorities fell on deaf ears.
This was followed by further raids at the Seberang Perai Municipal Council licensing department offices and state Environment Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh’s office, service centre and houses.
Phee is being remanded for five days pending investigations into an illegal factory in Kampung Sungai Lembu in Bukit Mertajam.
He was detained after he went to MACC’s office to have his statement recorded on Friday.
Yesterday, Norlela revealed that she had been treated like a criminal since Phee’s arrest.
Source: NST By BALVIN KAUR
MACC gets more statements in illegal factory case
BUKIT MERTAJAM: No one has yet to be charged over the illegal carbon filter processing factory in Sungai Lembu as graft-busters are still investigating the case and gathering evidence.
Three Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers showed up at the village yesterday and were seen talking to several residents there for about an hour in a coffeeshop.
Sungai Lembu Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK) chairman Tan Sing Lee and some businessmen staying and running businesses near the factory were later summoned to the MACC office in Butterworth to give statements.
“Initially, they wanted to record our statements at the coffeeshop but on seeing the press, they told us to go to their office instead,” Tan said.
Tan arrived at the MACC office with JKKK secretary Yeo Keng Chuan at about 1.30pm and left about 45 minutes later.
A spokesman for the MACC said it had recorded statements from several people, and that no arrest was made.
“We are still investigating,” he said.
Penang state executive councillor Phee Boon Poh, together with factory director Edmund Gan Eu Lee, 37, and his father Gan Buck Hee, 70, were arrested by the MACC on Aug 11.
But all walked free last Monday after their remand orders were set aside by the High Court.
The spokesman said the MACC would be appealing the court decision.
Meanwhile, Gerakan took Penang PKR assemblymen to task for not defending Penanti assemblyman Dr Norlela Ariffin against the barrage of attacks that came after she exposed the illegal factory.
“Why haven’t the men in PKR come to her aid? Are they so afraid of being victimised by DAP?”said state Gerakan vice-chairman Oh Tong Keong.
“What is also baffling is that the incident happened in the PKR fortress of Permatang Pauh,” he told a press conference.
He claimed that what happened to Dr Norlela was nothing new because Tanjung Bungah DAP assemblyman Teh Yee Cheu was also sidelined for speaking the truth.
Meanwhile in Kota Kinabalu, MACC deputy chief commissioner (operations) Datuk Azam Baki said no investigation paper has been opened in the acquisition of the Grand Borneo Hotel by Felda Investment Corporation (FIC), purportedly at a higher market price.
He said it was still premature to suspect any wrongdoings in the purchase of the three-star hotel (in Kota Kinabalu).
“We are not moving in as yet. Our focus is still on the ongoing probe on FIC’s purchases of the two hotels in London and Kuching.
“Besides, there is still a need to compare the valuation reports during the time of purchase and the actual value of the Kota Kinabalu hotel,” he said when contacted.
Azam was asked to comment on a report suggesting that the MACC was to conduct a probe on a third hotel managed by FIC.
The Grand Borneo was said to have been acquired by Felda for RM86.4mil in 2012.
Azam said there were no plans to send MACC officers to Sabah.
Sabah MACC director Datuk Sazali Salbi also said that his state officers were not involved in any probe over the matter.
It is learnt the MACC would focus on completing the ongoing probe first as the remand order for Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad ends tomorrow.
On Tuesday, the former Felda chairman was arrested by the MACC after he was called in to give his statements over FIC’s purchase of hotels in London and Kuching.
The MACC is investigating suspicion of power abuse and corruption in the purchases of the two hotels.
So far, anti-graft officers have visited Mohd Isa’s houses in Selangor, Nilai, Linggi and Seremban, as well as his office at the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) headquarters. Mohd Isa is acting SPAD chairman.
It was reported that cash amounting to RM100,000 was seized from a safe in one of his houses. - The Star.
Those involved in ongoing
corruption cases have been warned by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption
Commission not to make public statements. Its chief commissioner Datuk
Dzulkifli Ahmad said such acts can be deemed as interfering with
investigations and are pun
The Penang government will not protect any of its officials ... Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng says he believes state exco man Phee Boon ... Phee, who is in charge of the welfare, caring society and environment portfolio, was arrested yesterday by the MACC over alleged misuse of power.
Anti-graft investigators looking into the case of Ampang PKR Youth chief Datuk Adam Rosly’s “unusual” wealth are trying to determine how the 29-year-old amassed a substantial amount of cash and property at his age.
Officers who went to Adam’s house, dubbed by many as “Disneyland castle” in Ampang, seized five cars – a Mini Cooper, a BMW 5 Series, a Mercedes C200, an Audi A6 and a Toyota Vellfire.
Eight accounts under Adam and his wife’s name, with money amounting to RM212,461.41, were frozen.
Adam, who was detained after his statement was recorded at the MACC headquarters on Thurs
day, has been remanded for five days to allow the commission to investigate him.
He arrived at the court complex at 9.30am yesterday, clad in the MACC orange lock-up attire and smiled to the waiting cameramen.
Lawyers Nik Zarith Nik Moustapha and Asyraf Othman, as well as his mother, wife, baby daughter and a group of friends were waiting for him in the courtroom.
Magistrate Nik Isfahanie Tasnim Wan Ab Rahman granted prosecutors’ request for him to be remanded until April 18.
The MACC is investigating the case under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act.
Adam’s wealth came to the public’s attention after his political opponents questioned how he was able to afford his castle-style bungalow which they claimed cost RM7mil.
The special officer to Ampang MP Zuraida Kamaruddin, however, said he bought the house for RM1mil at an auction.
He also claimed that his money came from business ventures and family inheritance.
A source said the big question was whether Adam was actually involved in “proper” business ventures that brought him that much profit.
“Does he really have a business, did he really inherit a substantial amount of money or did he obtain it from ‘brokering’ or some kind of borrowings. We are sure there are ways for MACC to get to the bottom of this,” said the source.
MACC deputy chief commissioner Datuk Azam Baki said officers were still investigating the case.
“They are still finding more evidence and going through documents.
“Let them probe and we will see what comes out of it,” he added.
It's not been a year to shout about with a litany of woes plaguing the country and much of the world. But as 2015 comes to an end, it's time to count of blessings and hope for better times ahead.
IT feels like only days ago that we were wishing everyone a Happy New Year and suddenly it’s time for Merry Christmas. But between Happy and Merry, there has been little joy, has there?
It’s not been a year to look back upon with much fondness.
The ringgit is down, oil prices are down, the economy is down, and many of the people are feeling down, too. And it’s not just in Malaysia. Throughout much of Asia and many countries around the world, it has not been good news.
For us, there was the GST, an all-encompassing tax that has had many people grumbling.
But it brought a hitherto little-known Customs officer to fame. Datuk Subromaniam Tholasy was the face of the tax as the GST director and the man truly believes that this value-added tax is the way to go for the country.
Thus, he worked very hard for it despite the many brickbats. But it was not without its problems. There was the on-off-and-on again prepaid phone card tax problems.
The latest to make the rounds is the supposed GST on tolls. It has been clarified that GST will be charged on the 50sen service charge on Touch ‘N Go top-ups. So, it’s now 53 sen.
Tolls rates may go up soon. And the electricity tariff, too. It’s not going to get lighter on the pocket anytime soon.
Politically, it’s been a problematic year. Almost all parties are in turmoil. The 1MDB controversy and a RM2.6bil donation haunted Umno and saw the Deputy Prime Minister being ousted, only the second time that this has happened in the country. The first deputy prime minister to be ousted was also in the news – he has been sent to jail.
The man who first ousted a deputy, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, is also in the news. He wants to oust the current Prime Minister who ousted his deputy. It’s a merry-go-round that’s not so merry. This intense bickering is something that will go down in history.
Talking of history, Tan Sri Wong Pow Nee has been left out of the history books. This man was a true leader. I remember meeting him as a boy when he was the first Chief Minister of Penang. He came over to where the children were, patted them on their heads and told them all to study hard – and he spoke in Tamil! The man was a linguist and one who truly cared for all.
Great man: Wong was the first chief minister of Penang.
The first chief minister of Penang and a member of the Cobbold Commission that first drew up a working Constitution has been ignored in our history books. The reason? They didn’t want too many figures from the peninsula in the books, and wanted to balance the numbers with those in Sabah and Sarawak.
It makes no sense to me. History is history, it’s not a Maths lesson on the law of probabilities. MCA and MIC leaders were there at the birth of the nation and deserve to be recognised. The MCA is now fighting hard to have Wong, who made the declaration of Independence in Penang, recognised as one of the leaders involved in the early years of the nation.
The MIC is also, well ... fighting. Why they are fighting is hard to figure out as there are two factions, each claiming to be the rightful leadership.
It’s not just the Barisan Nasional. Things are even stranger on the other side. PKR is working with PAS to ensure the Selangor government is not rocked although PAS leaders are getting friendlier and friendlier with PKR’s arch-enemy Umno. DAP is at loggerheaders with PAS but works with PKR, again to ensure the Selangor government is not shaken.
In Penang, DAP has no time for PAS and PKR leaders are not happy with DAP. It’s a bit confusing. The ongoing rapid development is not helping things either.
Penangites love the island as it is, with as little change as possible. After all, the people are the living heritage of the place. I should know – I am a Penangite myself.
Elsewhere, too, there has been much misery. The two great Penangite sporting Datuks – Nicol David and Lee Chong Wei – have had a forgettable year.
Nicol is no longer the invincible girl she once was and has dropped out of the world No 1 ranking while Chong Wei was embroiled in a doping scandal, and spent the early half of the year serving out a suspension.
His return wasn’t remarkable and after some spectacular flops, he is finally picking himself up and could bring us all good news next year.
And never rule Nicol out. That lass has it in her to come back fighting every time she falls.
So, while much of the major news has been bad, it is the little people who have delivered the good news – those who continued feeding the poor even when the authorities wanted to ban them and throw the homeless into “reservations”, those who continue to teach the needy in the streets and in their homes and those who reach out to help regardless of age, race and religion.
And the year also saw the advent of G25, a moderate movement to stem the tide of extremism. Racial ties have not been at their best with some loud-mouthed leaders but the common folk are the ones rallying together.
The education system has again been called into question with several flip-flop decisions on English and the deaths of five orang asli children in Pos Tohoi. But even out of that came heroes who cared for the rural folk, the poor and the indigenous.
These are the people who we can depend on to keep the country intact - the way it was intended to be by our founding fathers.
Let’s hope the new year brings up better tidings, even if it is the common man who has to deliver them.
Why not? By Dorairaj Nadason - The writer, who can be reached at raj@thestar.com.my, wishes all readers Salam Maulidur Rasul, Merry Christmas and, yes, a Happy New Year once again.
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