Auditor-General’s 2012 Report (17)
by Rita Jong
The Malaysian Insider
October 2, 2013
The Youth and Sports Ministry spent RM1.6 million to bring in three South Korean pop groups for the National Youth Day celebrations last year, in contrast to the claim that the cost had been covered by sponsors.
The Auditor-General’s Report revealed yesterday that the money came from the government’s coffers.
The three K-pop groups – U-Kiss, Teen-Top and Dal Shabet – were brought in by Stadium First Sdn Bhd.
A ministry official had reportedly said then that the bill was paid by sponsors.
The report also found the ministry overspending RM1.11 million on promotion and publicity for the event.
The department reprimanded the ministry for spending RM48,300 on a “working visit” to Institut Kemahiran Belia Negara in Jitra, as well as to Songkhla, Phuket and Krabi in Thailand, for 21 people on the National Youth Day secretariat as well as senior officers.
It was also reported that the ministry spent RM75,966 on a promotional dinner, hi-tea and lodging for journalists at hotels.
The report classified several costs as “very high”, including RM50,000 paid to 50 bloggers and company management, and another RM50,000 for promotion and publicity.
Three bloggers were paid a total of RM7,500 in daily allowance for five days’ of coverage.
The ministry also spent RM3.32 million for one million Rakan Muda membership cards, and yet the programme was discontinued in July last year. – October 2, 2013.