theSun | WEDNESDAY MARCH 18 2009 œ 5

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Maria J. Dass and Karen Arukesamy at the

11 summoned to
testify in Balkis probe
FORMER Selangor Mentri Besar
Datuk Seri Dr Mohammad Khir
Toyo and his wife Datin Seri
Zaharah Kechik are among 11
people summoned by the Select
Committee on Competence,
Accountability and Transparency
(Selcat) to testify on discrepan-
cies in the Wives of Selangor
Assemblymen and Members of
Parliament Welfare and Charity
Organisation (Balkis).
“All except one have (earlier)
appeared before the committee
to give their statements. The
one witness has not returned
from abroad,” Selangor State
Assembly Speaker Teng Chang
Khim told a press conference.
“Selcat will conduct its first
public hearing next Monday and
hear until March 31 all issues
relating to Balkis and the policies
and guidelines used by state-
owned companies to sponsor
and fund the organisation,” he
said.
The hearing clashes with
Umno elections scheduled for
next Thursday.
Asked if the hearing was also
about the “Balkis money trans-
fer issue”, Teng (DAP-Sungai
Pinang), who is also Selcat chair-
man, said: “The ‘money transfer’
is not the issue now. The case
is more on Balkis’ activities and
how the state’s subsidiaries and
other private companies spon-
sored these activities.
“The hearing is open to the
media and public and will be
live on webcast. Selcat has
also invited non-governmental
organisations to act as observ-
ers.”
He urged members of the
public with information to sub-
mit details to the committee and
be present at the hearing.
“The investigation into Balkis
issues started immediately after
Speedier public sector
recruitment
DEPUTY Minister in the
Prime Minister Department
Senator T. Murugiah said the
job application process in the
public sector will be shortened
from four to two months to
enable retrenched workers
to secure employment more
quickly.
Speaking to reporters in the
Parliament lobby, he said the
government had taken four
months to interview and train
new staff, but because of the
economic crisis, “this process
is to be speeded up”.
Murugiah said the Public
Services Commission had
identified 46,000 vacancies in
the public sector and qualified
applicants, especially Chinese
Selangor State Assembly
Selcat was formed last May,”
Teng said.
Others members of the com-
mittee are Haniza Talha (PKR-
Taman Medan), Saari Sungib
(PAS-Hulu Kelang), Azmin Ali
(PKR-Bukit Antarabangsa),
Edward Lee (DAP-Bukit Gas-
ing), Sulaiman Abdul Razak
(BN-Permatang) and Ismail
Sani (BN-Dusun Tua).
On April 24 last year, theSun
broke the story that Balkis
members had decided to
dissolve the welfare organisa-
tion and had transferred almost
RM10 million from its bank
accounts to its affiliate Bakti,
the Federal Organisation of
Ministers’ Wives.
According to documents
sighted by the paper, Balkis
chairman Zaharah had on March
11, 2008, three days after the
12th general election, convened
an extraordinary general meet-
ing of the executive committee
to dissolve Balkis and close its
bank accounts.
The accounts were closed
the following day, and the money
transferred to another account
first, and then to Bakti.
On March 13, the former
exco members of Balkis issued
a notice of dissolution to the
Registrar of Societies, which
included amending the Balkis’
constitution and establishing
a new organisation to prevent
the current state government
from taking over the organisa-
tion and its premises, Kompleks
Wawasan Balkis.
Last week, Azmin disclosed to
the assembly information which
indicated Balkis had made three
“technical” visits to Disneyland,
Tokyo, Hongkong and South Ko-
rea, and that throughout 2007,
it had spent RM1.2 million on
overseas trips.
and Indian retrenched work-
ers, were welcome to apply.
“We do not want to be
seen as a government that
gives priority to only one race
as it is our wish to see the
participation of Chinese and
Indian communities in the
public sector. A quota of 7.4%
vacancies has been allocated
to Indians.”
Murugiah said basic
salary for the management
and professional category
ranged from RM2,538.89 to
RM3,550.84, and support
category from RM1,419.91 to
RM2,396.61.
Check for vacancies and
apply at www.spa.gov.my or
call 03-8885 6297/6258/6242.
Drop in criminal activity in schools
THE number of cases of gangsterism,
extortion and criminal intimidation involv-
outside school, it is not within the jurisdic-
tion of the ministry,” he said.
ing students in schools was down to He said the ministry had taken steps
46 last year compared with 76 in 2007,
Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr
to curb criminal activity in schools such
as the introduction of crime prevention
Wee Ka Siong (BN-Ayer Hitam) said. campaigns by way of a Crime Prevention
Replying to a question from Datuk Club. A total of 6,447 schools have such
Lee Chee Leong (BN-Kampar), Wee said the club, with 380,369 student members
another 1,862 students were involved in last year.
other criminal activities last year. Wee said talks with the police were
“Research shows that the number of also ongoing with a view to setting up
students involved in undesirable activities more Police Cadet Corps in schools. As
in school has reduced. However, when at 2008, there were 2,534 police cadet
students are involved in criminal activities platoons in 1,784 schools nationwide with
Giam Say Khoon and Hemananthani Sivanandam at the Dewan Rakyat yesterday
Opposition MPs boycott
probe committee
THE special committee set up to inves- He said the meeting had the
tigate the Feb 26 fracas involving Selan- required quorum. Although com-
gor Umno Youth members and Karpal mittee members such as Lim Kit
Singh sat for 90 minutes and heard from Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur), R. Siva-rasa
three witnesses despite a boycott by (PKR-Subang) and Datuk Kamarudin
Opposition MPs. Jaffar (PAS-Tumpat) had withdrawn
Deputy Speaker Datuk Ronald Kian- as members, the committee still had
dee, a member of the committee, said him, Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin
eight people had been summoned as Mulia as chairman, Nancy Shukri (BN-
Rahmah witnesses but only two turned up. Batang Sadong), Datuk Seri Dr Fong
(left) and Those summoned were Karpal Chan Onn (BN-Alor Gajah) and Back-
Nurul Shida Singh (DAP-Bukit Gelugor), Fong Kui benchers Club chairman Datuk Seri
at the Lun (DAP-Bukit Bintang), Fong Poh Tiong King Sing (BN-Bintulu) present,
committee Kuan (DAP-Batu Gajah), Lim Lip Eng Kiandee said.
hearing (DAP-Segambut), N. Gobala-krishnan “The investigation is still in progress,
yesterday. (PKR-Padang Serai), Michael Cornelius therefore there is no conclusion yet,” he
(personal assist- said, adding that more witnesses would
ant to Karpal be summoned after today’s session.
Singh), and Par- “When we have a decision, we will refer
liament security our findings to the House for debate.”
personnel Nurul On Feb 26, a group of Selangor
Shida Kamarudin Umno Youth members obstructed
and Rahmah Karpal Singh from entering Parliament
Idrus. House, demanding that he apologise
“Although we for his statement in the House that
had only Michael the youth wing was responsible for
and the two se- two rounds of live ammunition that
curity officers to he had received.
testify, we have Earlier, opposition MPs had
asked what we
wanted ... we feel we have enough
announced a boycott of the inquiry,
accusing the committee of double
information. There is enough (evi-
dence) for the committee to work on
standards in the handling of the
inquiry as well as in the decision to
and we will ask the (Selangor) Umno suspend his son, Gobind Singh Deo
Youth members to give their state- (DAP-Puchong), for one year for raising
ment tomorrow (today),” Kiandee told questions on Monday about Deputy
reporters at the Parliament lobby. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul
Kit Siang wants MACC to probe Ali Rustam
by Giam Say Khoon money politics is a form of corruption and
newsdesk@thesundaily.com that it cannot be settled at party level.
“It is an offence against the state and
THE Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission nothing should stop MACC from coming
(MACC) was yesterday urged to act against in because all complaints were made by
Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Umno members, he said.
Ali Rustam who has been found guilty of “If one is not allowed to stand in the
election offences by the Umno disciplinary party election, how can he still be the chief
board and barred from contesting in the minister of a state?” he asked.
party election next week. “MACC has said that it wants to be
While debating the Supplementary Sup- like the Independent Commission against
ply (2008) Bill 2009 in the Dewan Rakyat Corruption of Hongkong but would it be
yesterday, Lim Kit Siang Lim Kit Siang authoritative and effective enough to arrest
(DAP-Ipoh Timur) said the involvement in someone who is involved in corruption in
a total membership of 88,690.
Fuziah Salleh (PKR-Kuantan) then
asked why police were involved in efforts
to reduce criminal activity among students.
“Aren’t there rehabilitative methods such
as counselling?” she asked.
Wee replied that counselling was
available to students but could not by
itself change their behaviour. “Students
will listen for an hour or two, but what
happens when they leave school? Thus,
parties such as schools and parents play
a vital role in monitoring their children’s
behaviour.”
Razak in relation to the Altantuya
Shaarribuu murder trial.
Karpal Singh reiterated that the
House should be transformed into a
court of law to punish individuals who
he said had attacked him.
“Gobind was punished in the
House when he ought to have been
referred to the privileges committee.
In light of that development and also
what I have been saying all along,
we would not be taking part in the
inquiry,” he said.
Lim said he had submitted a letter
of resignation to the Speaker yester-
day, withdrawing from the committee
to protest its formation under Stand-
ing Order 80 (a).
Opposition Leader Datuk Seri
Anwar Ibrahim said Pakatan Rakyat
would support Karpal Singh’s decision
and that its MPs appointed to sit in the
committee would also withdraw.
He said the House had punished
Gobind harshly without affording him
the opportunity to defend himself, but
Umno Youth members who allegedly
threatened Karpal Singh were only
summoned as witnesses.
“The (committee’s) probe looks
arranged and gives the Umno Youth
members sufficient time to ‘escape’.
We cannot tolerate such behaviour
will not be involved in such a lopsided
investigation,” Anwar said.
On the charge brought against
Karpal Singh under the Sedition Act
yesterday, he said it was malicious
prosecution aimed at pleasing Umno
delegates at the party assembly and
election next week.
Lim also described the prosecution
as “politically motivated”.
Umno party election?” he asked.
At this juncture, Datuk Wira Ahmad
Hamzah (BN-Jasin) stood up to defend
Umno and challenged Lim.
“You (Lim) have accused the Malacca
chief minister of corruption. If you do not
understand a thing, you do not talk about it
as this has nothing to do with DAP.
“I can also talk about DAP Malacca if
I want to … Don’t talk about Umno,” said
Ahmad, who raised a point of order under
Standing Order 36(12) citing Lim as having
misled the House by accusing someone who
was not in the House and to defend himself.

briefs
No extra OT allowance
for pharmacists
THE Health Ministry does not plan to in-
troduce extra overtime (OT) allowances
to pharmacists working in government
hospitals, Deputy Health Minister Datuk
Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad said.
He said pharmacists in government
hospitals received a monthly RM750
critical service incentive payment, and
officers an additional RM200 enforce-
ment incentive.
Abdul Latiff was replying to Datuk
Chua Soon Bui (Tawau-Independ-
ent) who asked if the ministry would
review the OT benefits of pharmacists,
as enjoyed by doctors in government
service.
To Chua’s question on whether the
withdrawal of the petrol and diesel sub-
sidy for additional workdays six months
ago was the reason for many pharma-
cists leaving government service, Abdul
Latiff gave no direct response.
“We are aware of the shortage of
pharmacists ... we have only 632. We
also have an act that makes it com-
pulsory for pharmacists to serve the
government for three years,” he said.
60,000 fewer
foreign workers
THE number of foreign workers
reduced from 1.12 million to 2.06
million from March to December
last year, Home Minister Datuk Seri
Syed Hamid Albar (BN Kota Tinggi)
said.
He said that with the current
freeze on foreigners in certain
sub-sectors like manufacturing and
services, and the current economic
situation, the ministry hoped to
reduce the number further to meet
the ministry’s target of 1.8 million
foreign workers in the country.
Replying to questions from Datuk
Mohd Nasir Ibrahim Fikri (BN-Kuala
Nerus), Syed Hamid said the increase
in the levy on foreign workers was
aimed at reducing dependence on
them and to encourage employers
to employ locals.
UUCA not reason why
students fail
RESTRICTIONS under the Universities
and University Colleges Act (UUCA)
are not the reason why students are
failed or suspended, Deputy Higher
Education Mnister Dr Hou Kok Chung
(BN-Kluang) said.
“Students fail to graduate or are sus-
pended because of their unsatisfactory
academic results, failure to register for
courses, furthering their studies in other
tertiary institutions, lying about their
qualifications or causing disciplinary
problems,” he said.
Hou was replying to a supplementary
question from Mohd Firdaus Jaafar
(PAS-Jerai). To another question, he
said 1.5% or 4,800 students from the
total annual student enrolment failed to
graduate or were suspended between
2005 and last year.