The Public Accounts Commtitee (PAC) should investigate into the RM50 million Pempena scandals and the role of two Ministers and three Pempena Chairmen during the period, Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, Datuk Seri Azalina Othman, Datuk Kee Phaik Chin, Datuk Chor Chee Heung and Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun in the sorry tale of the multi-million ringgit fraud and criminal breach of trust of tourist promotion projects.
Current Pempena Sdn. Bhd executive chairman Chew Mei Fun convened a special media conference on Wednesday to declare that she would not answer and was not responsible for the RM50 million Pempena Group of Companies as what she wanted was to “focus on revamping the company”.
However, Chew has still to explain whether it is true that she was appointed to her RM10,000-a-month position in Pempena in mid-May but her appointment was backdated to April 1, 2008 – and whether she would return some six weeks’ pay as Pempena Chairman when she had not yet taken up the position.
Furthermore, Chew must explain why she had failed as Pempena executive chairman as she was unable to answer a simple question at the media conference whether “heads will roll” and action will be taken against those in the Tourism Ministry for the tens of millions of ringgit of losses because of fraud and criminal breach of trust.
Chew’s inability to give a simple answer whether those responsible for the RM50 million Pempena scandals would be held accountable is all the more inexcusable from the perspective of competence, accountability and integrity as the internal audit report exposing the financial irregularities, criminal breach of trust and fraud in the various Pempena Group of Companies had been completed and been in her hands for over three months.
What had Chew been doing in the past three months after receiving the internal audit report on the RM50 million Pempena Group of Companies scandals? Did she carry out a house-cleaning of the Pempena Group of Companies?
How many people in the Pempena Group of Companies have faced disciplinary, civil or criminal proceedings for their part in the RM50 million Pempena scandals or have the key players of the RM50 million Pempena scandal been rewarded with promotions and salary increases?
Although Chew has completely passed the buck of the RM50 million Pampena scandals to her predecessors, the two former Pampena Chairmen, Datuk Chor Chee Heung and Datuk Kee Phaik Kin have refused to accept the buck!
While admitting that some Pempena companies had incurred losses when he was Pempena Chairman in 2007, he claimed that all the development contracts and investments during his term as Pempena Chairman were made in accordance to lawful channels and proper procedures.
He however suffered from an attack of amnesia and could not remember the losses incurred by Pempena Group of Companies under his Chairmanship. He even forgot how much he was paid as Pempena Chairman!
Has Chor also forgotten that last year he was also Deputy Chairman of Wijaya Baru Global Bhd (WBGB), an associated company with Kuala Dimensi Sdn. Bhd.,which was in the very thick of the RM4.6 billion Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal? I will not be surprised if Chor has also forgotten how much he was paid by WBGB!
The Pempena Chairman before Chor, Datuk Kee Phaik Chin, also denied that there were any hanky-panky in the Pempena Group of Companies during her Chairmanship.
As reported by Sin Chew Daily, Kee said she left Pempena in very good shape, as headlined “I left RM50 million for Pempena” after her term as executive chairman from 2004 to 2006, putting the Pempena Group of Companies in good shape, leaving Pempena not only with RM50 million assets but with excellent corporate results and staff getting salary increases and bonus.
As all the three Pempena Chairman from 2006 to 2008 have all disclaimed responsibility, how come there could be RM50 million Pempena financial scandals?
This is where the PAC must act immediately to ferret out the truth and identify those responsible for the RM50 million Pempena scandals.
Or is the country again presented with a “heinous crime without criminals” as was said of the many mega financial scandals of the past, like the RM2.5 billion Bumiputra Malaysia Finance scandal and the RM4.6 billion Port Klang Free Zone scandal?
The PAC should not only investigate into the role of the three Pempena Chairmen during the period, but also the two Tourism Ministers in the past three years as well, viz Datuk Seri Azalina Othman and Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor.
I am quite hesitant to ask the PAC to take on a new investigation as the PAC Chairman Datuk Azmi Khalid is staggering under the weight of PAC responsibility and has still to keep his promise to table the PAC inquiry report into the RM1.6 billion Eurocopter deal.
Furthermore, Azmi has still to give a public accounting of the outcome of his announcement more than a month ago that the PAC would also investigate into the multi-billion ringit Bank Indonesia International (BII) and High Speed Broadband (HSBB) controversies.
But as PAC is the only parliamentary mechanism available to date to discharge Parliament’s watchdog function to check executive abuses and excesses of power including misuse of public funds, I have no choice but to ask Azmi to get the PAC to include the RM50 million Pempena scandals on its mountain pile of immediate agenda.
#1 by Damocles on Friday, 21 November 2008 - 4:09 pm
Uncle Lim, I suggest that you collate all the UMNO/BN scandals to date and place them in your website so that visitors to your website are reminded of the myriad misdeeds committed by them.
Also make sure the new generation of voters will know about them.
#2 by yhsiew on Friday, 21 November 2008 - 4:22 pm
What a bunch of BN crooks!
#3 by Johorean on Friday, 21 November 2008 - 4:31 pm
See, that is why I do not vote for BN during every elections. Bunch of good for nothing people.
#4 by izrafeil on Friday, 21 November 2008 - 4:36 pm
aiyoh… so much meh! how la…. better migrate lah
#5 by melurian on Friday, 21 November 2008 - 5:09 pm
of course lar, who do you think the chairman is – it’s CMF !!!!!
plz have respect and be considerate for her being dim-witted, not everyone as articulate and competent as you….
#6 by -ec- on Friday, 21 November 2008 - 5:23 pm
i agree with Damocles. we must list out all the outstanding investigations that PAC should be performing to discharge executives’ accountability. A simple system should be in place to track the status of all the cases and report to the voters continuously.
All recommended actions MUST be tracked. All investigation progress MUST be tracked. Recommended actions not implemented MUST be explained. Person responsible MUST be identified. Implementation of actions MUST be tracked. Review of implemented actions MUST be conducted and audited. All MUST be published and made public. Voters demand to know.
Malaysians forget things easily.
#7 by ktteokt on Friday, 21 November 2008 - 5:35 pm
Chinese would term them as “big-tailed snakes”!
#8 by kftang on Friday, 21 November 2008 - 5:45 pm
I suggest the first head to roll in the Pempena scandals is its present Executive Chairman CMF who has a cushy job for being totally irresponsible and unaccountable in carrying out her duties!
Next to follow is to CLOSE SHOP for Pempena for wasting and losing public funds!
#9 by All For The Road on Friday, 21 November 2008 - 5:55 pm
Can we put faith and trust for the PAC under the UMNO-appointed chairman to probe the present scandals in Pempena Sdn. Bhd.? Its past records and ineffective role prove otherwise!
#10 by wizzerd on Friday, 21 November 2008 - 6:12 pm
Azmi Khalid will read from his prepared script, ” Everything is done according to procedure.” Case closed. RM50 million goes into the pockets of unknown people. Nation’s coffers are bleeding to death.
Next scandal pls..
For goodness sake..can we put a STOP to all these nonsense by voting out the corrupt government???
TO all the fence-sitters…BN sympathisers..MCA supporters ..Are these cases not sufficient to convince you that these scumbags care for nothing but their personal interests.
Kick them out in the next GE!!No more second chance!!
#11 by justiciary on Friday, 21 November 2008 - 6:55 pm
Scandal after scandal.The bunch of corrupted hypocrites and the wolves cloaked in sheep’s clothing.When will we have the Taiwan type of government which can round up these crooks and put them in Sungai Buluh?The ex President of Taiwan jailed for his wrongdoings might or might not alert the scumbags here.After all,Taiwanese are so different compared with the majority of the people here.Ya,it is a good idea if YB LKS can compile a list of national wealth sapping and sucking scandals since 1980 for all voters to see and ponder.Please do it fast.
#12 by baoqingtian on Friday, 21 November 2008 - 7:59 pm
Shame to you Chew, you’re so greedy. Please return back my money! How shameful you are when you ask LKS to support you financially if you don’t take up the post. In M’sia there is a organisation called Kebajikan Masyarakat where people who can’t fend for themselves can go there. You should have asked for their help instead.
#13 by AhPek on Friday, 21 November 2008 - 9:17 pm
Whatever comes out of the mouth of CMF from the time she fought Tony Pua for the MP position to the present situation she found herself in goes only to confirm what an ar_ _h_le she is. And wherever this lesbian b_t_h goes from the Sports Ministry to the Tourism Ministry and whatever she touches they are all fraud,fraud,fraud and scandal,scandal,scandal.Ask Nadeswaran he has loads of stories on her!!
So YB no matter how hard you try to expose any scandal and you have done it on countless occasions,the investigations and findings always come up to the same conclusion–nobody is responsible for the disappearance of millions! And if you ask this other ar–h-l- he will come up with the conclusion “Things are carried out according to procedure.”.This is Bolehland,man and if you belong to the right group everything works to your favour!
#14 by BNseedell on Friday, 21 November 2008 - 9:19 pm
Should also investigate the 1st Malaysian Restaurant based in Doha, Qatar. I learnt that its owner (a Malaysian Bumiputra) took a loan from Pempena Sdn. Bhd. to start the business. It’s Malaysian ownership had already changed hand after less than one year of operation due to losses. Wonder who had benefited from one of this overseas investments by Pempena Sdn. Bhd.?
#15 by carboncopy on Friday, 21 November 2008 - 9:32 pm
Why should the govt; be it federal or state, be involve in all this Sdn Bhd companies?
Isn’t this a loophole to avoid check and balance and scrutiny by the Parliament or Legislative Assembly?
#16 by Ramesh Laxman on Friday, 21 November 2008 - 9:48 pm
With Greed Lust and Corruption so rampant it is incumbent on you to fight to get govrtnmrnt out of the business sector. The government gives money to these business groups in the belief that they will regulate themselves because it for their own good. But time and again it has been noticed that they only do what is good for them personally.
May I suggest that government must only make matching contribution for such business ventures. Giving 110% grant is globally a no no.
Good Luck
#17 by negarawan on Friday, 21 November 2008 - 11:20 pm
Don’t waste time asking PAC and the ACA to investigate anything. The PAC and ACA themselves should be investigated for corruption and they are puppets of UMNO. Malaysia is in a hopeless situation unless BN is toppled.
#18 by m.hwang on Friday, 21 November 2008 - 11:45 pm
Of course she can’t provide an answer to whether heads will roll. She is either waiting for further directions or better instructions from Tuan.
#19 by HJ Angus on Saturday, 22 November 2008 - 12:02 am
If private companies do this, it may be a form of money laundrying but when governments do it, it is so conveniently written off.
But RM50mil for Pempana is peanuts to all the other more important ministries like defense where other major leakages can occur.
To me trying to get the government to reform is a hopeless cause – we should use our energy and cooperation to change the government.
#20 by riversandlakes on Saturday, 22 November 2008 - 12:03 am
Yes, the PAC and ACA themselves should be investigated for corruption and derelection of duty!
#21 by justice6 on Saturday, 22 November 2008 - 12:08 am
EPF 8% Means Paying More Income Tax ( For High Income Group )]
Assume monthly basic salary is RM4000.
– If your monthly EPF contribution is 11% ( RM440 ), taxable income = RM3560, income tax payable = RM77.
– If your monthly EPF contribution is 8% ( RM320 ), taxable income = RM3680, income tax payable = RM109.
Conclusion : If you choose to contribute 8%, you will end up paying more income tax to the government,
which will make the government richer. Finance Minister Najib said this measure is meant
to boost up the slow-down market, but from this example wee see that the money does not
go into the market. Instead the money goes direct into the government’s pocket through
the greater amount of income tax that we will have to pay. Obviously this measure does not
help the market at all. Do we still want this kind of government that doesn’t have the best interest
of the people in mind?
#22 by computation on Saturday, 22 November 2008 - 1:44 am
I agree very strongly with the suggestions given by
Damocles and -ec- . They suggested keeping track of
any scandals occuring within/by the government.
I suggest that a database be built and all
relevent improprieties be logged. The details
and status of investigations if any are carried out
should all be recorded. People involved in the scandals
and investigations should be stored as well. Outcomes
and results of investigations into scandals should also
be logged. When the new government comes into
power all these can be investigated impartially if they
were not already done so. People can then be called into
account. I suggest the DAP assemble if they have not
already done so and IT team to look into this very doable
project. I also suggest that all material stored in the
database be put online for the nation to view.
Come election time the current rotten government cannot
sweep away all the injustices they have commited.
They will be called to account.
#23 by computation on Saturday, 22 November 2008 - 1:48 am
As of now what has happenned to the suggestion by Karpal Singh
that Nazri be referred to the house committee of priviledges?
Wasn’t a decision supposed to have been made earlier in the
week already? what is the account? Another “delay”? Do these
parliamentarians know what it means to stand by their word?
Are they men or cowards whose words carry no weight?
Can you trust such people who say they will do something
and then do not?
#24 by shortie kiasu on Saturday, 22 November 2008 - 9:42 am
After we read of state of affair of Pempena, it reminds us of the Chinese sayings; ” Snakes & rats in the same nest”!
There many of such nests in existence in the government in this country. We need superheroes with super political will to flush out all these “snakes & rats” from the nests.
But to all of us that will probably be a pipe dream.
#25 by k1980 on Saturday, 22 November 2008 - 10:01 am
This RM50 million rip-off is just 1/1000 or 0.1% of the RM4.6billion PKFZ scandal. To the Pempena scoundrels, this RM50 million amount is just chicken feed
#26 by Cinapek on Saturday, 22 November 2008 - 10:40 am
People like Chor Chee Heung, Kee Phaik Chin and Chew Mei Fun are all figure heads appointed to such organizations to take the rap for the rape of these organizations. This is similar to Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye’s chairmanship of the NS program. These chairmen has no authority and they are paid to lend legitimacy to a scheme to steal the taxpayers money. It is the reverse of many private sector companies appointing prominent Malays as chairmen to gain favour for their listing status and/or government approvals, licences or contracts. But at least private sector companies do not steal from the tax payer in most cases and if they do, at least they are more subtle in their schemes.
Clearly the three chairmen were paid to close both eyes to what was going on and that explains why they were not able to answer the simplest of questions. They have no authority and were paid generous allowance and benefits to turn the blind eye. They learned all these from their UMNOputra masters and the thinking is since UMNO is doing this and on a bigger scale, why shouldn’t they as a BN component party member do the same thing? They have sold their souls to the devil and also sold out their non Malay brethens.
As for the PAC, less said the better. It is a rubber stamp body existing just to whitewash Govt. scandals. What I cannot understand is why DAP’s Dr Tan Seng Giaw, as Deputy PAC Chairman, remains silent on all these PAC scandals and investigations. By doing so, is he agreeing with their findings or is he also practising the same thing as all these “chairmen”?
#27 by monsterball on Saturday, 22 November 2008 - 10:43 am
From the message..if Ms.Chew keep quiet..it shows she is paid a huge salary…..doping nothing… but.. be a stooge in a corrupted scheme.
No decent management personnel will not explain and clear things up.
How effective is PAC…left to be seen.
If they are really hard working and sincere….they should at least get Ms.Chew..to explain.
#28 by frankyapp on Saturday, 22 November 2008 - 1:06 pm
LKS\s call PAC to investigate pempena scandal and you guys calling the ACA to do the same are just similarly calling a dead body to rise up and starting talking. LOL. Even our mata mata is likened a dead duck. And scandals after scandals just go scots free under this UMNO/BN government.We may shout out loud and clear to the highest mountain,it will fall on deft ears and sleepy eyes.Azmi,Ms chew.CCheoung,kpchin or even IGP,they are good bed fellows sharing the same fantastic dreams in our land called Bolehland.
#29 by delon85 on Saturday, 22 November 2008 - 7:45 pm
At this rate I think a book on BN scandals can be published and also put on websites. I’m sure the book will be thick as well.
#30 by frankyapp on Sunday, 23 November 2008 - 2:17 pm
Dear delon85,besides UMNO/BN leaders and cronies endless scandals,your book should also includes the BN government civil servants and all the government linked corporation (GLC).You have heard civil servants’ corruption/scandal and corruption as well by top leaders of all the GLC,right ? For instant,just take a look at some of our top civil and GLC leaders.Watch out.see how on earth,these guys can afford to live in style so much beyong their means. A poor fisherman said it’s simple to catch and put these guys to jail but the ACA ,the police and the AG are not doing any concret thing to persecute them. Does we need rocket science to catch these group of dishonest people ?.Yeap he got a valid point,although,he’s only a kampong small time simple fisherman earning less than RM 600 a month with a wife and three children to feed.Shame on you ACA,police and AG.