KUALA LUMPUR: Declaring he has nothing to hide, Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said claims on the misuse of funds by the Youth and Sports Ministry when he was the minister should be investigated thoroughly.
But he cautioned that any probe must be conducted fairly.
"It should be investigated. What’s wrong is wrong. Action has to be taken against wrongdoers, including me if I have done wrong," he said yesterday when commenting on the awarding of contracts worth RM450 million and doubtful purchases for the National Youth Skills Institute in 2002.
Hishammuddin was the Youth and Sports Minister from 1999 to 2004.
It was reported that the ministry’s secretary-general, only authorised to approve contracts which did not exceed RM5 million, was allowed to approve contracts worth RM449.42 million by the minister.
The Treasury, in its reply to the Auditor-General who highlighted various questionable expenditure by ministries and government departments in his 2006 audit report, stated that the youth and sports minister gave a letter of authority to the secretary-general to sign the contracts.
However, the Auditor-General said during the audit, "no such letter presented itself".
The Auditor-General also said the ministry paid RM8.39 million more than the market price for 13 items for the institute’s programmes.
Among these were RM224 for a set of four screwdrivers costing RM32 in the market; RM5.72 million for two crane towers against the market price of RM2.98 million; technical books consisting of 10 titles priced at RM10,700; and a 3.1 megapixel digital camera that was bought for RM8,254.
Speaking to the New Straits Times, Hishammuddin, in an obvious reference to Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said’s statement on Monday that the contracts dated back to 2002 before she was appointed to the post, said: "On the allegations, my advice to them is no matter where we are, all are jointly responsible under the same government."
Azalina had said that the purchase of equipment for the institute was done through direct negotiations by the ministry two years before she was sworn in as the minister.
She said the contracts were awarded under the Eighth Malaysia Plan and was under the supervision of Project Management Consultants (PMC).
Azalina said she was told the ministry had given its justification on the issue, adding she did not really understand the contracts neither was she involved in them.
"It should be investigated. What’s wrong is wrong. Action has to be taken against wrongdoers, including me if I have done wrong," he said yesterday when commenting on the awarding of contracts worth RM450 million and doubtful purchases for the National Youth Skills Institute in 2002.
Hishammuddin was the Youth and Sports Minister from 1999 to 2004.
It was reported that the ministry’s secretary-general, only authorised to approve contracts which did not exceed RM5 million, was allowed to approve contracts worth RM449.42 million by the minister.
However, the Auditor-General said during the audit, "no such letter presented itself".
The Auditor-General also said the ministry paid RM8.39 million more than the market price for 13 items for the institute’s programmes.
Among these were RM224 for a set of four screwdrivers costing RM32 in the market; RM5.72 million for two crane towers against the market price of RM2.98 million; technical books consisting of 10 titles priced at RM10,700; and a 3.1 megapixel digital camera that was bought for RM8,254.
Speaking to the New Straits Times, Hishammuddin, in an obvious reference to Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said’s statement on Monday that the contracts dated back to 2002 before she was appointed to the post, said: "On the allegations, my advice to them is no matter where we are, all are jointly responsible under the same government."
Azalina had said that the purchase of equipment for the institute was done through direct negotiations by the ministry two years before she was sworn in as the minister.
She said the contracts were awarded under the Eighth Malaysia Plan and was under the supervision of Project Management Consultants (PMC).
Azalina said she was told the ministry had given its justification on the issue, adding she did not really understand the contracts neither was she involved in them.
Source: The New Straits Times
Story 2:
PM wants answers: Abdullah orders ministries to explain to cabinet
KUCHING: Ministries implicated in the Auditor-General’s report for mismanaging funds and other irregularities must explain to the cabinet through their respective ministers, the prime minister said.
"The report has raised many questions and those involved must explain why such things happened.
"During the last cabinet meeting, before I left for the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation) meeting, I had directed all ministers to check matters pertaining to their respective ministries and report to the cabinet.
"Ministers must ensure that each matter raised in the Auditor-General’s report is studied and explained in detail," Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said.
The prime minister was asked to comment on the report, which disclosed cases of wastage of public funds in several ministries and government agencies.
Abdullah, here to take part in the Malaysia Merdeka celebrations on Monday evening, was speaking at a press conference before departing for Singapore.
Several ministries have started probing departments and agencies under their purview, whose spending was highlighted in the report issued last Friday.
The Treasury had already responded to portions of the report, elaborating on the expenditures in some of the more glaring revelations.
On Monday, Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop said the units under the ministry had been directed to prepare an immediate accounting of the irregularities contained in the report.
In Putrajaya, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said the Anti-Corruption Agency would question ministers if necessary over the Auditor-General’s Report 2006.
"The ACA can see anybody, whether minister or secretary-general.
"If they find that they need to meet the minister, it is within their right to do so. It is not necessary that all ministers must be interviewed, just those involved in the process," Nazri said after attending the ACA’s annual debate competition for secondary school students.
"If there is any abuse of power, any corrupt act in the report, then there is nothing to stop the ACA from taking action.
"The Auditor-General’s report is an official report. If the ACA can investigate anonymous letters, what more something reported officially.
"We must take the report seriously and take action as the same thing comes back every year. If it keeps coming back, something is really wrong."
Nazri said the ACA should be given time to study the report and conduct investigations.
He said while the Auditor-General had highlighted mistakes made by certain ministries and departments, these still had to be verified.
The Auditor-General’s report cannot be used as a basis for pressing charges until more information and clarification was obtained, he added.
ACA director-general Datuk Ahmad Said Hamdan said all ministries mentioned in the report would be looked into.
Source: The New Straits Times
"During the last cabinet meeting, before I left for the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation) meeting, I had directed all ministers to check matters pertaining to their respective ministries and report to the cabinet.
"Ministers must ensure that each matter raised in the Auditor-General’s report is studied and explained in detail," Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said.
The prime minister was asked to comment on the report, which disclosed cases of wastage of public funds in several ministries and government agencies.
Several ministries have started probing departments and agencies under their purview, whose spending was highlighted in the report issued last Friday.
The Treasury had already responded to portions of the report, elaborating on the expenditures in some of the more glaring revelations.
On Monday, Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop said the units under the ministry had been directed to prepare an immediate accounting of the irregularities contained in the report.
In Putrajaya, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said the Anti-Corruption Agency would question ministers if necessary over the Auditor-General’s Report 2006.
"The ACA can see anybody, whether minister or secretary-general.
"If they find that they need to meet the minister, it is within their right to do so. It is not necessary that all ministers must be interviewed, just those involved in the process," Nazri said after attending the ACA’s annual debate competition for secondary school students.
"If there is any abuse of power, any corrupt act in the report, then there is nothing to stop the ACA from taking action.
"The Auditor-General’s report is an official report. If the ACA can investigate anonymous letters, what more something reported officially.
"We must take the report seriously and take action as the same thing comes back every year. If it keeps coming back, something is really wrong."
Nazri said the ACA should be given time to study the report and conduct investigations.
He said while the Auditor-General had highlighted mistakes made by certain ministries and departments, these still had to be verified.
The Auditor-General’s report cannot be used as a basis for pressing charges until more information and clarification was obtained, he added.
ACA director-general Datuk Ahmad Said Hamdan said all ministries mentioned in the report would be looked into.
Source: The New Straits Times
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