RM10mil buses going nowhere

THE Terengganu government wasted RM10.5mil buying 26 buses that had to be virtually grounded when it abandoned plans to use the new buses to ply urban and inter-district routes because of objections from existing bus operators.

The wastage occurred because the state government had failed to carry out a comprehensive study before implementing the project.

The Auditor General’s Report released on Monday said such studies were needed to avoid failure in meeting the objective.

According to the report, the state secretariat had in 2007 appointed two companies to supply the buses.

The state government had in February this year decided to distribute 18 of the buses to various agencies and departments.

The report also noted that a subsidiary of a government-linked company that was supposed to utilise the buses had no experience in the transportation business.

Based on the state secretariat’s report, the audit also found the cost of maintaining two Proton Perdana V6 was higher than the cost of procuring the vehicles.

A total of RM308,731 was spent on maintenance of the two cars that were originally purchased for RM234,054.

The Auditor was unable to analyse the cost of maintenance because the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Agency had seized the files on the two vehicles.

The Auditor has also uncovered unauthorised use of fuel cards by personnel in the state secretariat and the Public Works Department.

The Auditor has also called on the state government to monitor the activities of its companies to ensure they observe good corporate governance, abide by the law, make a profit and pay dividends to the state.

Apa maknanya Kalau Isa Menang !?

KUALA TERENGGANU – Menjelang jam 5 petang ini, para pengundi DUN Bagan Pinang, Negeri Sembilan akan membuat pilihan samada ada memilih ’rasuah’ atau ’maruah’.

Sekiranya, calon BN Tan Sri Isa Samad menang, ia akan menjadi satu kes ikutan ’precedent’ dimana, kejelekan dan kebobrokan ’rasuah politik’ atau kes ’politik wang’ dalam Umno/BN tidak lagi dianggap kotor dan hina.

Isa pula akan bertukar, dari seorang tokoh Umno yang dianggap ’cemar’, menjadi seorang penyelamat maruah kerana memenangkan Umno yang sudah kalah dalam tujuh pilihanraya kecil sebelum ini.

Perlakuan ’rasuah politik’ yang menghukum Isa meletakkan jawatan sebagai seorang Menteri kerana membayar ahli Umno supaya melayakkannya kepada jawatan (Menteri) itu, akan seolah-olah menghalalkan apa yang kononnya menjadi ’haram’ dalam pemilihan Umno.

Keadaan ini adalah kerana, pemilihan Isa menjadi calon BN bagi bertanding dalam pilihanraya kecil Bagan Pinang, bukan lagi suatu ukuran ’maruah’ namun semuanya merupakan perlumbaan ’kuasa’ semata-mata.

Tidak ada lagi pemimpin yang benar-benar berwibawa dan memiliki pengaruh tulin dalam Umno sekiranya Isa menang dalam pilihanraya kecil kali ke 9 tahun ini itu.

Dan Umno tidak perlu menggilap kepimpinan muda dengan jati diri kepimpinan, cukup mendidik pemuda-pemuda Umno menjadi seorang koporat, mengumpulkan kewangan yang banyak, kerana ’wang’ dari koporat itu merupakan tiket untuk menjadi pemimpin.

Membeli undi dalam pemilihan Umno tidak lagi dianggap sebagai ’keparat’ namun ia akan menjadi satu ’standard’ penting, dan paradigma baru dalam Umno, kerana Tan Sri Isa telah meletakkan definisi baru dan garis nilai sebagaimana yang diucapkannya kepada media.

Tan Sri isa berkata; ’Saya bukan rasuah, Ini ialah politik wang’. Apa yang berlaku sebenarnya adalah, saya melanggar kod etika. Kami mempunyai kod etika dalam pemilihan parti. Kemudian, media memutar-belitkannya kepada politik wang dan rasuah," kata Isa Samad kepada wartawan MerdekaReview dalam satu wawancara pada malam Isnin yang lalu.

Bahkan sekiranya Isa diisytiharkan menang menjelang keputusan pada jam 8 malam nanti, keputusan tersebut merupakan satu titik tolak kepada Umno/BN yang lebih ’hodoh’ pada masa akan datang.

Pemimpin tertinggi Umno dan BN juga terpaksa menerima Isa demi menebus ’maruah Umno dan Barisan Nasional’ dari terus tercemar kerana kekalahan berturut-turut kepada Pakatan rakyat.

Umno/BN tidak boleh kalah lagi, dan tidak lagi sanggup berdepan dengan kekalahan.

Namun tindakan membenarkan Isa bertanding sebenarnya melorongkan Umno/BN kepada lorong ’belakang mati’ yang lebih hina !

Ineffective JKKK members told to resign

KUALA TERENGGANU: Incom-petent chairmen and members of Village Development and Security Committees (JKKKs) have been advised to resign as they only burden the people.

Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said said he was disappointed that dates and zamzam water given by the Terengganu government were not distributed to the people properly.

“Some JKKKs took the dates to mosques and did not distribute them door-to-door as instructed.

“As such, some people did not receive them,” he said at a buka puasa hosted by Kuala Nerus MP Datuk Mohd Nasir Ibrahim Fikri on Saturday.

In conjunction with this year’s Ramadan, the Terengganu government allocated RM7.8mil worth of dates and zamzam water for distribution to 300,000 Muslim families.

Ahmad also said the state planned to turn Kuala Nerus into a district after a motion to the effect was passed in Parliament and the State Assembly.

“We are looking for a site for an administrative centre for Kuala Nerus,” he said.

Terengganu presently has seven districts: Kuala Terengganu, Hulu Terengganu, Setiu, Besut, Marang, Dungun and Kemaman. — Bernama

Cash aid for the needy

KUALA TERENGGANU: The Terengganu government will distribute Hari Raya Aidilfitri cash aid to more than 160,000 families comprising the poor, the disabled, single mothers and senior citizens next week, Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said said.

"We don't know the exact amount allocated for this year yet, but the number of recipients is expected to be higher.

"Last year, we spent about RM38 million for 160,000 families," he said after visiting Muhamad Ayub Mansor, 7, who is suffering from a hole in the heart, in Kampung Cabang Tiga here.

Ayub needs to undergo surgery at the National Heart Institute (IJN) but the date has not been fixed because of insufficient funds.

Ahmad said the state government was willing to pay for the boy's operation and treatment estimated at RM30,000.

Ayub's mother, Haryati Mohd Fauzi, 32, said she used to take her son to IJN once in six months for treatment, which cost RM500 per session.

However, the housewife said they could no longer afford to do so as her husband, who works at a spare parts shop, only earned RM700 a month. - Bernama

Terengganu to offer aid to 160,000 families

KUALA TERENGGANU: The state will distribute aid from a special Hari Raya fund to over 160,000 families next week, said Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said.

“We do not know the exact amount for this year yet, but the number of recipients is expected to be higher.

“Last year, we spent about RM38mil for the 160,000 families,” he said, adding that they comprised the poor, the disabled, single mothers and senior citizens.

He was speaking to reporters after visiting Muhamad Ayub Mansor, seven, who is suffering from a hole in the heart, in Kampung Cabang Tiga, here.

Muhamad Ayub needs to undergo surgery at the National Heart Institute but the date has yet to be fixed pending the collection of sufficient funds.

The mentri besar said the state was willing to bear the cost for the boy’s operation and treatment, estimated at RM30,000. — Bernama

A great trade-off

By ANITA GABRIEL

WHEN the Terengganu Investment Authority (TIA) was set up with its much-touted air-tight governance structure, no one doubted that the biggest test to its paper-perfect concept would be in its execution. What we weren’t prepared for was how soon that test would come. Rhetoric, meet reality.

For as long as the RM5bil was “pretend” money which had yet to be raised, everything was fine. Sadly, however, as soon as the coffers were filled up with RM5bil, raised through a government-guaranteed bond issued in late May, it is believed to have sparked a disconnect between the state and federal governments. Then, a couple of other states were also eager to set up a similar entity and as expected, had approached the Government to provide a guarantee for the funds it hoped to raise.

With that, it is isn’t hard to understand how TIA had morphed into 1Malaysia Development Fund – a federal-based Sovereign Wealth Fund with a wider developmental agenda covering all states and this – there is no doubt (hence no wrangling) over who the money ultimately belongs to. With that, TIA, wholly owned by the Menteri Besar of Terengganu (MB Inc) is now 1MDB, wholly owned by the Ministry of Finance, Inc, reporting directly to the Prime Minister.

TIA had raised much hope and anticipation in promising to be a structure that would put the people of the state above politics and self-interest. Now, for the people of Terengganu, one of the poorest states in the country despite the fact that it is oil-rich, the elephant has returned to the room – how will the state’s oil royalties flow down to them, increase economic activity and be utilised for the long-term economic and social sustainability of the state, all of which formed the very premise for the establishment of TIA? Will it form a new investment arm to meet these objectives?

And what about the utilisation of the oil royalty which has long been shrouded in secrecy – would there be more accountability and clarity? Without a doubt, these are the issues the Menteri Besar of Terengganu Datuk Ahmad Said will need to tackle urgently in line with discharging his responsibility to the people and to silence the sceptics. Let’s also not forget that the climate is somewhat more unforgiving today.

As for the setting up of 1MDB, not many are scrambling to get their bearings, least of all the bondholders. Let’s face it – the papers were government-guaranteed and the ownership has transferred from state to federal, which is hardly worry-worthy from an investor’s perspective.

Similarly, 1MDB will be governed by a check and balance system comprising the board of directors, board of advisers and a senior management team. It is believed that Felda Holdings group managing director Datuk Mohd Bakke Salleh will be appointed chairman of the board of directors which will comprise Tan Sri Azlan Zainol (the Employees Provident Fund CEO), Datuk Ismee Ismail (Lembaga Tabung Haji group managing director/CEO), Tan Sri Lodin Wok Kamaruddin (Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera CEO) and Shahrol Halmi, who it is believed will also be CEO.

The establishment of 1MDB, however, does throw up some other questions. How different is it from Khazanah Nasional Bhd? Khazanah describes itself as a “trustee of the nation’s commercial assets” with the main objective of contributing to the nation’s long-term economic interests. On the other hand, 1MDB aims to “drive sustainable, long-term economic development for Malaysia by forging strategic global partnerships and promoting foreign direct investment (FDI).” Same difference, you say?

If there is more than one “sovereign” vehicle in the country eyeing multiple opportunities, could it dilute the “fire power” of any one of these entities in the event there is an overlap? The one striking difference, however, is that 1MDB will be run on the concept of matching FDIs.

Ultimately, however, whether it’s state-owned or federal-owned, the benchmarks ought to be the same in terms of accountability and transparency. This begs the question – now that it is federal-owned, should we be less concerned? -The Star

RM4.3 juta bantu keluarga miskin

KUALA TERENGGANU 21 Julai - Kerajaan membelanjakan kira-kira RM4.381 juta untuk membantu 1,919 keluarga miskin tegar yang tinggal di bandar-bandar di negeri ini bagi meningkatkan kualiti hidup sejak empat tahun lalu.

Timbalan Menteri Perumahan dan Kerajaan Tempatan, Datuk Seri Panglima Lajim Ukin berkata, peruntukan itu disalurkan dalam pelbagai bentuk bantuan di bawah program Bantuan Pembasmian Kemiskinan Bandar (PPKB).

Katanya, daripada jumlah peruntukan itu, kira-kira RM2.267 juta diberikan dalam bentuk bantuan sewa rumah, bantuan pengurangan beban keluarga (RM2.029juta), bantuan ihsan (RM83,000) dan pendidikan serta latihan (RM1,800).

''Peruntukan yang diberikan untuk Terengganu itu merupakan sebahagian daripada RM97 juta yang diperuntukkan di bawah Program Pembasmian Kemiskinan Bandar dalam tempoh tersebut," katanya.

Beliau berkata demikian selepas Majlis Penyampaian Bantuan Pembasmian Kemiskinan Bandar di Stadium Negeri di sini hari ini.

Turut hadir Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Kebajikan, Pembangunan Masyarakat dan Wanita negeri, Asha'ari Idris dan Datuk Bandar Kuala Terengganu, Datuk Mat Razali Kassim.

Sebanyak 478 keluarga miskin di Kuala Terengganu menerima pelbagai bantuan berjumlah RM702,770 di majlis tersebut.

Lajim berkata, kerajaan komited membasmi kemiskinan dengan sasaran mengurangkan kadar keselurahan kepada 2.9 peratus menjelang 2010.

''Saya percaya bantuan yang disalurkan dapat memberi sedikit keselesaan kepada keluarga terbabit, selain dapat meringankan beban keluarga.

''Bagaimanapun, keluarga miskin perlu berusaha menambah pendapatan dengan menjalankan aktiviti ekonomi seperti menanam atau berniaga dalam usaha keluar daripada belenggu kemiskinan'' ujarnya.