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by Maria J. Dass
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S
HAH ALAM: Former Selangor
mentri besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd
Khir Toyo and his entourage
spent RM1.7 million of public
funds to visit two Disneyland theme
parks in the United States and France,
but the working trips did not include
meetings with Disneyland officials
and no reports were submitted after
that.
These trips, which took place in
2007 and 2004, were in addition to
two other trips to Disneyland parks
in Hongkong in March 2006 for
which the entourage spent RM30,000
and Tokyo, in preparation for the set-
ting up of a 8ha theme park in Bagan
Lalang.
State investment arm Permodalan
Negeri Selangor Bhd (PNSB) paid for
the trips, its chief executive officer
Datin Khairiyah Abu Hassan told
the Selangor Select Committee on
Competency, Accountability and
Transparency (Selcat) which yester-
day wrapped up its inquiry into the
expenses of the now-defunct elected
Selangor representatives’ wives’
welfare and charity organisation
(Balkis) and the excesses of state-
linked companies.
The inquiry started on March 23.
The findings will be tabled in the
state assembly in July.
Grilled by committee members,
Khairiyah testified that the entourage
merely visited the theme parks as
members of the public and that the
visits were more as an exposure to
the management and concept of run-
ning a theme park.
Asked who decided on the trips,
she said the decision was made at
Najib to be
sworn in
tomorrow
PUTRAJAYA: The Yang di-Per-
tuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal
Abidin has given his consent for
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri
Najib Abdul Razak to be sworn
in as prime minister at 10am
tomorrow, Chief Secretary to the
Government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek
Hassan said.
In a statement issued last
night, he said Tuanku Mizan
had also consented to grant an
audience to Datuk Seri Abdullah
Ahmad Badawi and Najib at 10am
today for Abdullah to relinquish
the post and seek consent to
appoint Najib as the new prime
minister.
Tuanku Mizan gave his
consent at an audience with
Abdullah before the cabinet
meeting yesterday morning.
The King had given his consent
for Najib to be presented his
letter of appointment as prime
minister and to take his oath of
office, loyalty and confidential-
ity at Istana Negara at 10am
tomorrow, the statement said.
– Bernama
Member of Audit Bureau of Circulations (Malaysia)
» RM80m aid package for Tamil schools pg2
pg21
Khir’s RM1.7m
Disney trips
Words of wisdom ... Deputy
Prime Minister Datuk Seri
Najib Abdul Razak and other
cabinet ministers applaud
after Abdullah has given
his advice at the cabinet
meeting yesterday.
Abdullah imparts invaluable advice to cabinet
PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk
Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi impart-
ed invaluable advice for Datuk Seri
Najib Abdul Razak and the cabinet
to act upon when he chaired his last
cabinet meeting yesterday, according
to ministers met after the meeting.
The ministers said Najib, as the
deputy prime minister, took the op-
portunity to accord recognition of
the highest order on Abdullah for his
huge contribution to the country.
They also recorded their appre-
ciation to Abdullah for having given
them the space and opportunity to
have worked with him in the govern-
ment.
Najib took over as Umno president
on Saturday at the party’s general as-
sembly after Abdullah did not seek
nomination to retain the post, thus
paving the way for the former to take
over as prime minister.
By convention, the Umno presi-
dent assumes the premiership of the
country as the leader of the largest
party in the ruling Barisan Nasional
coalition.
30 SEN for delivery to your doorstep
TELLING IT AS IT IS
» Accountancy Career & Education Fair 2009 pg15-20
Abdullah is scheduled to have an
audience with the Yang di-Pertuan
Agong, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin,
today to relinquish the post of prime
minister after having helmed the
country for more than five years.
International Trade and Industry
Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin
said yesterday’s cabinet meeting
proceeded in an atmosphere of calm,
with the ministers touched by the
advice given by Abdullah.
He said Abdullah had emphasised
matters which the Cabinet should
act upon, especially the collective
responsibility of the ministers.
Muhyiddin said Abdullah had given
useful advice which the cabinet could
use as a guide.
“The prime minister said he was
prepared to give his views if neces-
sary,” he said.
He said the cabinet prayed for the
good health of Abdullah and his wife,
Datin Seri Jeanne Abdullah, while
recording the contributions of the
prime minister to the government as
a major contribution to the country.
Award winning newspaper
for public service reporting
and opinion writing.
No. 4729 PP 2644/12/2009 (023092)
Thursday
April 2, 2009
www.sun2surf.com
BERNAMAPIX
Education Minister Datuk Seri His-
hammuddin Hussein said Abdullah
was calm and resolute, and this
touched the ministers.
“In fact, his advice to the cabinet
reflected that of a leader who wishes
the best for the people and the future
of the country,” he said.
“That is the man that I know, that
I respect. That is the man who has
always put the (interest of the) public
and the country above himself”.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s
Department Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad
Zahid Hamidi said Abdullah had called
for the continuity of all decisions
adopted at past cabinet meetings.
Information Minister Datuk
Ahmad Shabery Cheek saidAbdullah
gave the assurance that he would
continue to assist and support the
government and party.
Agriculture and Agro-based
Industry Minister Datuk Mustapa
Mohamed said Abdullah recorded his
appreciation for all cabinet ministers
for the support and cooperation
extended to him. – Bernama
KAMARIDUAN MOHD NOR/THESUN
Khairiyah ... no reports were
submitted after the Disney trips.
PNSB’s management meeting and by
its chairman and former MB Mohd
Khir.
Elaborating on the trip to Dis-
neyland in Paris between Dec 17
and 24, 2004, Khairiyah said PNSB
spent almost RM1 million as the
visit included a working trip to Mo-
rocco to study Moorish and Islamic
architecture and a four-day transit
stop in Dubai (costing more than
RM90,000)
Other disclosures:
» Mohd Khir was accompanied on
the Paris and Orlando, US, trips by
his wife Datin Seri Zahrah Kechik
(Balkis chief), their three children
and maid.
» More than RM366,000 was spent
on a reconnaissance trip in prepara-
tion for the working visit to Morocco
while RM416,000 was spent for the
official delegation.
» The RM646,841 trip to the United
States between Dec 23, 2007 and Jan
1, 2008 included technical visits to
Disneyland in Orlando and Miami
beach after which the entourage flew
to Honolulu where they went on a
city tour, visited Pearl Harbour and
Chinatown, watched a cultural show
and went on a dinner cruise.
The group also visited the
Kennedy space centre to see how
this concept could be included in the
Bagan Lalang theme park.
» PNSB paid RM110,000 for a suite
room for Mohd Khir, his wife and
three children at the Hilton Waikiki
Hotel and the Walt Disney Dolphin
Hotel prior to that.
Selcat chairman Teng Chang
Khim remarked: “This is equivalent
to RM10,000 a night throughout the
seven-day visit.”
On the Dubai transit during the
Paris trip, Teng asked why a transit
took four days.
He also questioned the need for
a reconnaissance team to go ahead
of the official delegation when this
could have been done by the Malay-
sian embassy in France.
Khairiyah also told Selcat that no
report was submitted on the techni-
cal trips to Disneyland.
Although there were invoices to
show that the cost of accommoda-
tion and airfare for the children of
Mohd Khir were absorbed by PNSB,
Khairiyah said this was paid back to
PNSB.
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