Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim today revealed that Barisan Nasional assemblypersons had spent 90.6 percent of the total state allocations within the first two months of this year.
The grand total amounts to RM26,634,844.33 and a balance of RM2,907,155.76 remains, he said in reply to a question posed by Ng Suee Lim (DAP-Sekinchan).
Khalid then proceeded to provide a breakdown of total funds spent in each constituencies in order for members of the assembly to know if funds were still available.
He also noted that there was a number of trends in the amount of funds spent, such as a large number of Barisan representatives spending exactly RM492,800, and said that he would investigate the matter.
"Strangely, the previous speaker, who was not even a state assemblyperson, spent RM600,000," he told the House.
Khalid then suggested that a select committee on competency, accountability and transparency be established to probe the matter.
The two-month speeding spree has resulted in the 36 state seats that have now come under the control of the joint PKR-DAP-PAS government in the March 8 general elections having nothing much left to spend for the rest of the year.
In his royal address on Wednesday, Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah ticked off previous state administration assemblypersons for spending almost all of the RM27 million allocations.
He said efforts to improve efficiency in the state would be meaningless if wastages or inappropriate spending are not curbed and urged the state government to be prudent.
Balkis controversy
On a question by Lau Weng San (DAP-Kampung Tunku) on the Balkis controversy, Khalid said he had tried in vain to seek answers from the Registrar of Societies (ROS).
He said that he had written three letters to the ROS since April but no reply was forthcoming.
"In the letters, we have asked for details on Balkis dissolution. But we have yet to receive any reply. We are still waiting for an answer," he said.
However, he told the House that it was necessary for Balkis to explain certain activities they had organised as it involved the help and support from companies owned by the state government.
Khalid then gave a litany of examples involving tens of thousands of ringgit being spent on matters such as souvenirs for 'VVIPs', dinner functions and festivals.
In one example, Khalid drew loud groans from the Pakatan Rakyat backbenchers when he revealed that RM279,000 were spent on sports clothing for Balkis members.
"They used Galeri Hafiz Sdn Bhd. It involved two payments - RM158,000 and RM121,000 - to prepare sports clothes for men and women," he said.
Again, he mooted that Balkis expenditures be scrutinised by a select committee comprising of both Pakatan and Barisan reps.
To a supplementary question by Jenice Lee (DAP-Teratai), Khalid said the state government was of the view that Balkis had yet to be officially dissolved.
Balkis was a very rich charity group comprising of the wives of Selangor elected representatives.
There was an uproar when it was learnt that the group had passed a resolution to dissolve the association just after the March 8 general election and with it, its millions in funds.
No comments:
Post a Comment