6 theSun | FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 11 2009

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Izahar (left)
and Misri at

Promises to rakyat had

the hearing.

to be honoured: Witness
by Maria J. Dass
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
SHAH ALAM: Payments for projects prom-
ised by assemblymen to their constituents
were made even after the state assembly
had been dissolved as these were promises
to the rakyat, the Selangor Select Commit-
tee on Competency, Transparency and
Accountability heard yesterday.
Kuala Selangor assistant district officer
Izahar Rashidi said in his testimony that the
money was for the good of the community,
and as such was released to the respective
assemblymen.
“Promises to build a surau for instance
have to be fulfilled, if not, the person who
made the promise has to answer for this in
the after life,” he told an amused panel.
The five-member committee is chaired
by Selangor state legislative assembly
Speaker Teng Chang Khim. The other
members are his deputy Haniza Mohamed
Talha, Hulu Kelang assemblyman Shaari
Sungib, Bukit Antarabangsa assemblyman
Azmin Ali and Bukit Gasing assemblyman
Edward Lee.
Izahar, district officer Mohd Misri Idris
and finance department clerk Norafzati
Jantra are from the fourth district office to
testify before the committee, which is exam-
ining the expenditure of Selangor assembly-
men from January 2008 to June this year.
It particular, it is trying to determine
how an allocation of more than RM2.7 applications for
million for assemblymen was spent within funds recorded
the first three months of 2008 by 54 Barisan on the applica-
Nasional representatives. tion forms were
Later in questioning Izahar on the mis- not necessar-
use of funds, Azmin reminded him that he ily accurate as
too was accountable for his actions in the they may have
after life. been submitted
“This is the people’s money and every to the district
sen has to be accounted for; do you think office at a later date.
that it was prudent for all of the annual She said there was a surge in the number
allocation to have been spent in the first of applications on Feb 12, 2008, a day before Ronnie Liu to testify
two months of the year?” the state assembly KUALA LUMPUR: Pandamaran assemblyman Ronnie
he asked. was dissolved. Liu will be called as a witness for a hearing of the
Izahar replied: “I think Promises to build a Norafzati said Selangor Select Committee on Competency, Transpar-
… it is unhealthy for a surau for instance there was a gotong- ency and Accountability today.
year’s allocation to be have to be fulfilled, if not, royong at the district “I was told to present myself as a witness to
exhausted within the first office on Feb 12 to explain verbally and in detail the funds allocated for
two months of the year the person who made the clear 85 applications my area,” he said in a press statement yesterday.
because the money may promise has to answer for for RM449,500 from “I believe this will help the public understand how
be needed towards the end this in the after life.” assemblymen in the the allocations are being used, particularly for those
of the year, and especially - Izahar Rashidi district, and that she in need,” he said.
for aid if there was an had prepared vouch- Liu stressed that the Selangor state government
emergency such as a natural disaster.” ers for the payments to be disbursed then, under Pakatan Rakyat is transparent in its use of
Azmin then asked why he had not and had these signed the next day. public funds, for instance in its including a before and
advised the assemblymen accordingly if this She agreed that the process was hastened after picture of a completed project as a condition for
were the case, to which Izahar responded: because of the impending election. “It is true approval of an allocation.
“Who am I to give advice?” that the assemblymen had asked for the Liu, a state executive councillor, said he had
Mohd Misri had told the panel earlier funds to be released as soon as possible.” made public on his blog http://colour-blind.
that the funds could be released although The hearing at the state legislative org/ a full record of funds and types of funding
the state assembly had been dissolved as assembly Annexe building, which began allocated for the state assembly seats of Pandamaran,
the applications for allocations were made on Tuesday, is scheduled to end on Mon- Sungai Panjang and Sungai Pelek for the period of
before the dissolution. day after a weekend break. It is carried live January to June this year.
Meanwhile, Norafzati said the dates of online at www.selangor.gov.my

Govt report confirms

sexual abuse of Penan
KUALA LUMPUR: A government report has
confirmed allegations that Penan women and
young girls were sexually abused by workers
from logging camps in Baram, Sarawak.
The report, a compilation of the findings of
a high-level task force investigating the matter,
was published on the website of the Women,
Family and Community Development Ministry
on Tuesday and contains detailed accounts of
rape by women who described extensive sexual
exploitation in the isolated community.
One victim bore two children as a result of
repeated rape and another said that when she
was just 10 years old, a logger attempted to rape
her and four other girls when he gave them a ride
to school in a company vehicle, it said.
“The committee concluded that the claims
of sexual abuse among Penan women and girls
by outsiders who deal with the Penan, including
logging company workers and businessmen, did
take place,” 113-page report said.
“These sexual abuses mainly happened
because the victims were relying on lifts from
logging vehicles and outsiders who deal with the
villagers to buy forest products.”
A national task force comprising several min-
istries and non-governmental organisations was
commissioned by the cabinet on Oct 8 last year
to investigate claims that the indigenous tribe
was the target of harassment and rape by timber
company employees in Sarawak. The ministry
however, despite repeated calls, did not release
the report until recently.
A ministry official confirmed its release
and said an awareness programme was being
conducted to help the Penan prevent sexual
assaults, AFP reports.
The investigation prompted calls from the
Malaysian Human Rights Commission for action
against the perpetrators, who could face up to 20
years in jail and whipping if convicted of rape. “(The
findings) would mean someone has committed an
offence. They should be identified and charged in
court,” its vice-chairman Simon Sipaun said.
There are at least 10,000 Penan in Sarawak,
whose way of life is under threat from the exten-
sive logging of their traditional hunting grounds and
the spread of palm oil and timber plantations.

Ministry for non-Muslims protesters? Are they saying non-Muslims can’t

KUALA LUMPUR: The Hindu Defence Forum is
urging the government to establish a ministry or
department to handle the affairs of Malaysia’s
non-Muslims.
The coalition, which says it represents over
300 Hindu based non-governmental organisa-
tions, said such a ministry was necessary to han-
dle sensitive issues of religion in a professional
and effective manner.
“As far as we are concerned, the National Unity
Department has failed in its role to resolve issues
concerning non-Malays and non-Muslims, espe-
cially minorities,” the coalition’s spokesman A.
Rajaretinam said yesterday. “If it had been sincere
and consistent, this wouldn’t have come up.”
He was commenting on a recent protest
over the relocation of a Hindu temple in Section
19 Shah Alam to Section 23 – a predominantly
Malay-Muslim neighbourhood.
Rajaretinam said it was not right to protest
the relocation of a temple as everyone had the
right to practise his own religion as stated in the
Federal Constitution. “What is the message of the
practise their religion? They give a bad impres-
sion of Muslims in this country.”
Psychiatrist Mahadevan 1st
to receive Tun Dr M award
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s first government
chief psychiatrist Tan Sri Dr M. Mahadevan on
Wednesday received the first BrandLaureate
Patron-Tun Dr Mahathir Award for his contri-
butions to psychiatry and clinical hypnosis.
Mahadevan, 80, the founder of the Malay-
sian Psychiatric Association, was instrumen-
tal in developing a mental health system and
establishing the Tanjung Bahagia Hospital in
Perak.
Mahadevan, who initiated concepts and
therapy to rehabilitate the mentally ill, received
the award from Asia Pacific Brands Foundation
chairman Tan Sri Elyas Omar at an event yes-
terday to celebrate his 80th birthday, organised
by the BrandLaureate. The event also saw the
launch of the Mahadevan Travelling Fellowship
at Harvard University. – Bernama