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PAS divided on
working with
Umno: Najib
Bosses held accountable
HUA HIN (Thailand): Prime Minister Datuk
Seri Najib Abdul Razak said the latest develop-
ment in PAS showed that the party is divided
on the issue of cooperation with Umno.
“There are certain quarters who give
more importance to politics than the interest
of the ummah,” he told a news conference
at the end of the 15th Asean Summit here
yesterday.
“We appreciate those who see Umno as
representing the Malays, as a party which has
done a lot of good deeds in the struggle of the
ummah and in taking care of the interests of
other races.”
He said the existence of the two groups
manifested in the latest call for an extraordi-
nary general meeting (EGM) by PAS spiritual
leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat to rid
the party of “problematic leaders”.
Najib said one group in PAS rejected any
form of cooperation with Umno although it
was for the interest of Malay and Muslim
unity.
Another group of leaders, who were will-
ing to find ways to enhance unity among
the ummah, were more inclined towards
cooperating with Umno.
“What type of cooperation is not defined
but they don’t want to see disunity,” he said.
Asked whether Umno would discuss
with PAS, Najib said it would be difficult to
do so as long as there was no consensus in
the party.
“Let’s wait and see the development in
PAS,” he said, adding that any discussion
would not be fruitful if it only involved certain
leaders and not the party as a whole.
On the “greater unity plan” announced by
MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat to
resolve the crisis in MCA, Najib said he had
advised the top leaders of the party to find a
solution to the crisis as soon as possible.
“It looks like they accepted the solution
based on the two groups working together
as a team because there is no single group
which obtained a majority or 50% of the
support based on the EGM results,” he
said.
“Like it or not, they should accept the
fact.”
He said that only through working as a
team could both leaders represent the whole
in MCA. – Bernama
Member of Audit Bureau of Circulations (Malaysia)
30 SEN for delivery to your doorstep
TELLING IT AS IT IS
SEC-GENs and D-Gs FACE ACTION OVER AUDITOR-GENERAL’S REPORT
by Terence Fernandez
sreports@thesundaily.com
PETALING JAYA: All ministry secretaries-
general and directors-general will be made
accountable for the abuses, negligence, mis-
management and excesses conducted by and
within their respective ministries and depart-
ments.
Director-General of Public Services Tan
Sri Ismail Adam said all those implicated in
the 2008 Auditor-General’s Report will be
penalised.
Apart from having their careers stalled,
those who approved purchases at inflated
costs will be made to pay the surcharge.
“For example, if the actual cost of the item
is only RM1 but the ministry paid RM600 for it,
then the individual who approved it will have
to repay the ministry or Treasury RM599,”
Ismail told theSun.
2009 AWARDS
Award winning newspaper
for excellence in
investigative reporting
No. 4872 PP 2644/12/2009 (023092)
Monday
October 26, 2009
www.sun2surf.com
News without
borders
Among the observations of this year’s A-G’s “If their ministry or department is men-
report which raised eyebrows is Kolej Kema- tioned unfavourably in the A-G’s report, then
hiran Tinggi Mara Balik Pulau’s purchase it will affect their overall performance score of
of two laptops for RM42,320 each, when the the KSU (secretaries-general) or D-G and can
market price is only between RM5,350 and affect promotions and increments,” he said.
RM6,500. “Even if the mistake is done by the despatch
Ismail said that at times it may be hard to boy, as the heads (of the ministry or depart-
put the blame of questionable purchases on ment), the buck stops with them and they
one individual who may claim he was only must be held accountable.”
following orders. He said such actions were taken against
“But if we have enough evidence, he will several officials last year following the 2007
have to pay back the money as he put the A-G’s report, where they ended up being
ministry or department at a financial disad- “pulled” or in layman’s terms “cold-storaged”
vantage,” he said. or passed over for promotion.
He said the repayment could be deducted Ismail, however, declined to pinpoint the
from their salaries or from their gratuity or individuals, saying it was sufficient that those
even pension. in the service knew who they were.
Ismail said that since 2008, the A-G’s re- “But the public must also know that we are
port had become part of the criterion of Key not sitting idly by when reports of mismanage-
Performance Index (KPI) for all 38 secretaries- ment of public money are exposed,” he said,
general and their directors-general. adding that just like last year, anti-corruption
investigators will be brought in to probe all
SAIFUL HIZAM MANSOR/THESUN
ministries and departments implicated in the
2008 A-G’s report.
He also said none of them had been or
would be transferred as has been the public
perception.
“We keep them there and rehabilitate them
if we can, otherwise you are only transplanting
the problem,” he said.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commis-
sion (MACC) said in a statement that, as a mat-
ter of course, they go through the A-G’s report
thoroughly to identify elements of corruption,
misappropriation or abuse of power in the
management of public funds, and appropriate
action is taken against those responsible.
Royal bathing ceremony
T HE Datuk Seri Amar di-Raja presents Negri
Sembilan Yang di-Pertuan Besar Tuanku
Muhriz Tuanku Munawir and his consort the “air
bedak limau” (powdered lime water) for the bath
yesterday. Steeped in the state’s royal tradition,
it is the most significant ceremonial proceeding
before the installation of Tuanku Muhriz as the
11th ruler of Negri Sembilan today.
» Full report Page 2