From Malaysiakini
Syed Jaymal Zahiid | Nov 10, 08 5:33pm
Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim today blasted the Finance Ministry for its silence on the 2007 Auditor-General’s Report on the multi-billion bailout involving government linked company (GLC), Perwaja Steel Sdn Bhd.
Anwar said the report - which revealed that the government is still paying the bailout grant to Perwaja totaling RM3.9 billion up to last year since 1998 - has yet to be explained or discussed in Parliament.
“The ministry has payed Perwaja billions of ringgit from the Employees Provident Fund in grants without approval of the Parliament and it has yet to be tabled for debate until today,” he told a press conference later.
“I have raised this so many times. The content of the report raised serious concerns over government handling of the matter but the media have consistently played down the issue,” he said.
Describing it as the “arrogance of power”, he said this reflected on Deputy Prime Minister and soon-to-be Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s idea of governance - “the monopoly of the media” and the suppression of information critical of the government.
Perwaja lost RM11 billion
Perwaja, a company set up by the government under former premier Dr Mahathir Mohammad, gained prominence for all the wrong reasons when it was revealed that the GLC had scandalously registered losses up to RM11 billion.
Anwar who was then deputy prime minister and finance minister had then instructed that independent audit firm Pricewaterhouse Cooper be hired to probe into the matter.
Findings by the independent audit revealed that there were clear cases of mismanagement, corruption and abuse of power by officials in the GLC.
The Anti-Corruption Agency’s investigation into the matter then had company managing director, the late Eric Chia, alleged to be a close associate of Mahathir, arrested and charged with criminal breach of trust involving RM76.4 million.
Chia was alleged to have allowed the payment of RM76.4 million into the account of Frilsham Enterprise Incorporated at the American Express Bank Ltd, Hong Kong for technical aid given by NKK Corporation for the Beam and Section Mill Plant in Gurun, Kedah, although the payment was not required.
Chia was however acquitted on June 26 last year after a court ruled that the prosecution had failed to prove a prima facie case.
“Despite these findings, none of it have been tabled for explanation in the Parliament,” said Anwar
‘Gov’t favours big businesses’
Anwar also accused the government of favouring “big businesses” over the welfare of the people.
Elaborating, he said the government’s move to renegotiate the Power Purchasing Agreement (PPA) with the country’s independent power producers (IPPs) to restructure the contract so as to acquire cheaper power source is merely “for show.”
“Negotiations have been going on for 10 years and the IPPs are making a lot of profit while the auditor-general’s report stated that there were many violations of contract procedures,” he said, adding that this too had escaped scrutiny in Parliament.
Opposition MPs have long accused the PPA as unfair since the government has to pay more for gas and oil from domestic IPPs which in turn purchase it at a much lower cost.
Anwar and other Pakatan Rakyat MPs said that the government should review the contract and act firmly against the IPPs so that power can be purchased at a cheaper price.
Mr Amwar,
What are you waiting for? The only way to put UMNO in place is to take over the government.
What we have now is UMNO SENDIRIAN BERHAD government, which is the government of UMNO, for UMNO and by UMNO.
We need a new government of the people, for the people and by the people.
Datuk Seri,
It is indeed a surprise to know that the government is still paying Perwaja until last year. It’s a fact known to everyone that Perwaja’s shares have all been sold to Kinsteel Berhad.
I do not see in what aspect this audit report can benefit the people other than an information of another failed privatisation program of the government.
PEPATAH ORANG TUA KITA PERNAH BERKATA,”BANGKAI GAJAH TAK BOLIH DITUTUP DENGAN NYIRU”
BARANGKALI TERBONGKARNYA KES INI, ALLAH MAHU TUN MELIHAT SENDIRI AKAN PERKARA YANG DILAKUKANNYA SEWAKTU MENJADI PERDANA MENTERI DULU. KALAU KITA NAK BUKA, BANYAK LAGI KES YANG BALU-BALU TERLIBAT TIDAK BERPUAS HATI, TETAPI APAKAN DAYA, KITA TIDAK BERKUASA UNTUK MENENTANGNYA. MAKLUM LAH SEMUA POWER DALAM TANGAN PENGUASA. HARAP DSAI BERSIHKAN DULU SEMUA DAKI-DAKI KOTOR DENGAN KLORIN SUPAYA IANYA NAMPAK BERSIH BERKILAU, BARU LAH SINAR, DAN NAK PEGANG TAMPOK PENTADBIRAN PUN TIDAK TANGGONG MASAALAH LAGI!
walaupun tan sri eric chia sudah mati,tetapi perbuatan rasuahnya dalam syarikat perwaja steel mesti dibongkarkan termasuk org2 yang berkaitan dengan ahli2 politik yang terdahulu……
Salam,
Semalam ada ‘Prof Rambut Panjang’ yang mempersoal dan melahirkan kekecewaan terhadap prestasi pembangkang. Kesian ada IPT yang mempunayai Prof sedungu itu. Apa yang kita lihat sekarang ialah pembangkang dibawah kepimpinan DSAI berjaya memberi tekanan kepada kerajaan secara langsung atau tak langsung, dalam membuat keputusan yang lebih menyebelahi rakyat. Penurunan harga minyak, penambahbaikan sistem kehakiman (walaupun hanya gimik) dan fokus kepada krisi ekonomi merupakan perkara yang dibangkitkan oleh pembangkang. Inilah peranan pembangkang dalam memberikan check and balance terhadap dasar-dasar kerajaan.
Seharusnya Prof tersebut lebih kecewa dengan ahli-ahli MP BN yang tidak matang dan bersikap partisan dalam menjawab isu. Jika kita lihat cara YB seperti Najib Tun Razak, Jamaludin Jarjis dan Puad Zarkashy menjawab dan memberi respond dalam parlimen, kita rasa mereka sama taraf dengan budak sekolah menengah.
Good Luck DSAI….Fight for People of Malaysia. I’m with you…Justice and equality are paramount to multiracial society that is meant for BANGSA MALAYSIA.
Well done Dato Sri keep it up, may good bless you & your family
Masa dalam kabinet dulu awat tak bising?
khalib Reply:
November 12th, 2008 at 9:26 pm
Masa berada ditandas tu, belek-belek dulu surat-surat khabar lama , sekitar 96/97/98s!!!!!!!!
change the government!!!
DSAI with such an enomous ammount Rakyat surely need to know what happen and how to retrieve it. Those amount is enough to ease the 2009 Malaysia Budget…