(NST) PUTRAJAYA: The Anti-Corruption Agency will look into a minister's links with a non-governmental organisation that purportedly spent RM1.4 million of public funds on entertainment claims.

The minister is the chairperson of the NGO, which receives grants from the government.

An ACA source said the NGO's annual reports would be scrutinised, although this did not mean the agency was opening investigation papers.

"The ministry gives the NGO grants and it is its prerogative to spend the money.

"However, we will do a thorough check and look at their annual reports," the source said.

More information had to be gathered before deciding whether investigation papers would be opened, the officer added.

ACA deputy director-general Datuk Abu Kassim said he would comment on the case after receiving more information from his officers.

The NGO's spending was highlighted in an English-language newspaper yesterday, which said it had obtained a copy of the annual report.

Also listed in the expenditure was RM1.18 million on grants, RM2.1 million on meals and accommodation, RM932,000 on media and advertising, RM710,000 on production, RM710,000 on printing and stationery, RM865,400 on equipment rental, RM242,000 for volunteers' allowances, RM117,700 on wages, and RM858,000 for travelling and transportation.

In an immediate response, the Women's Sports and Fitness Foundation Malaysia (WSFFM) emailed to newspapers its explanation on its spending.

WSFFM said it organised the National Women Games last year, with the participation of 3,400 athletes and 600 officials.

It also hosted an international conference, attended by 289 participants, and various courses for 780 officials.

For the games, it provided free internal transport between the games village and competition venues, as well as meals for athletes and officials.

It also gave gifts of pillows, pillowcases, bedsheets and blankets to the athletes and officials. Each set was priced at RM44.

WSFFM explained that these were given as it would have cost the organisers RM60 per person per day to rent them at the games village.

T-shirts were also given to athletes, officials, volunteers, technical officers and others for easy identification.

On grants, it said RM30,000 was given to each of the 15 state sports council and to the national sports associations for organising the competitions.

The email also listed wages and allowances but no amount was given.

On the RM1.4 million entertainment bill, WSFFM said: "The precise definition of the term entertainment used in the accounts encompasses a broad range of expenses related to sports events, athletes and team management participating in the National Women Games 2007."

This included ceremonial events, opening and closing ceremonies, and prize-giving ceremonies.

"The WSFFM is able to justify every single expense and investment the government, Ministry of Youth and Sports and the National Sports Council provide to women and sports through us.

"There is no manipulation in our expenditure, no one has taken a single sen for personal gain and we have been very transparent to publish this for public consumption."

Comments (29)

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written by ALittleSpace, April 17, 2008 | 08:52:39

What!

Madam is certainly entitled to eat and enjoy well every day at taxpayers' expenses as she is working so hard for the country!!

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written by Tlau, April 17, 2008 | 08:54:20

She got the cheek to say that PR states will not be given the fund. rupa nya she wanted to telan everything.

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written by Biztrack, April 17, 2008 | 08:54:53

Is this the same Minister that claims the government's money wont be spend for the benefit of the rakyat (tourism promotions) in the PR governed states??

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written by Ken Liew, April 17, 2008 | 08:56:48

Comeon...... NGO with 1.4 bill is just a small amount compare with the OLD GOVERNMENT waisted....

4.6 PKFZ, ?? Iskandar, THis corridoor (corek door) that corridoor. Expending highway. All the Tol building that costy. so and so. The government is leeching tons of billion, and you ACA just catching the small fish...... Use your brains.

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written by krising1, April 17, 2008 | 09:07:47

Really. Why waste time and tax-payers money.

Firstly we do not believe ACA knows how to investigate. Assuming that you can, when you submit the file AG, he will say "not enopugh evidence", "too many inconsistencies". Case closed.

So why waste time when we can predict the outcome.

Good thing is that statute of limitation does not apply in this case. We can get them when a new government is sworn it.

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written by michael chick, April 17, 2008 | 09:14:12

And I thought the ACA was an acronym for "ALWAYS CORRUPTED AGENCY", a little like the MOSHAD of Israel....
Guess we are not that different form the Jews *sigh*




Truly Asia, Truly Copycats, Kopi-O, Kopi-Ping, Kopi-Kau, Kopi-Susu, Kopi-C, Kopi-Chum........

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written by mamu, April 17, 2008 | 09:16:14

mamu confused la;
"Also listed in the expenditure was RM1.18 million on grants, RM2.1 million on meals and accommodation, RM932,000 on media and advertising, RM710,000 on production, RM710,000 on printing and stationery, RM865,400 on equipment rental, RM242,000 for volunteers' allowances, RM117,700 on wages, and RM858,000 for travelling and transportation" = 7.7M

1.4M apa?

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written by technoboy, April 17, 2008 | 09:18:09

RM1.4 milllion, just the tip of an iceberg compared to PKFZ RM4.6 billion and the untold billions stolen by BN/UMNO morons, their families, friends and cronies.

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written by Biztrack, April 17, 2008 | 09:28:22

mamu

RM1.4m is for "entertainment".

the rest is reported "ALSO LISTED as ....". Means that 7.7 is over and above that 1.4 in question.

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Votes: +6

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written by Ben Nordin, April 17, 2008 | 09:28:55

Ahhhhh. Just one of the many "mechanisms" on 'How to spend the taxpayer's hard earned money in a "legal" way'. After 'scrutinising' the annual reports, I'm sure the ACA would say that everything is in order as all annual reports are bound to show. In the meantime, the ACA puffed their chest when they said that they investigated RM9 to RM1,500.00 bribes in Kelantan.

Pathetic, isn't it?

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written by malaysian2008, April 17, 2008 | 09:30:20

the government, Ministry of Youth and Sports and the National Sports Council provide to women and sports through us.

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written by miwaki, April 17, 2008 | 09:31:12

Of course the money has been spent according to events as stipulated above but the question is whether the cost is justified ? Azalina,Azalina,why are you so naive ?

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written by malaysian2008, April 17, 2008 | 09:33:49

REPOST:
the government, Ministry of Youth and Sports and the National Sports Council provide to women and sports through us.

NO WONDER, IT WAS NO CONTEST FOR HER POST. NO WONDER, SO MANY NGO BACK UMNO, NO WONDER AP QUEEN DISLIKE HER, B'COS THIS MINISTER POST IS PIGGY BANK.

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written by myke, April 17, 2008 | 09:35:46

A government minister holding post in an NGO...???? What crap is this.???

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written by Mr Smith, April 17, 2008 | 09:47:06

Nothing will come out of the ACA investigations. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to tell that the ACA, AG and Police are there to protect UMNO thieves.
The AG will say, " We called up the Minister and she said there was no abuse of funds. So we have closed the files. She has no case to answer."

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written by kc respect, April 17, 2008 | 10:08:47

They spent more on stationery than on wages & volunteer allowance combined.
What a scam!!!! "Pok-kai" lah Malaysia-ku. This is only the tip of the tip of the iceberg, I know!!!!

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written by paulnaidu, April 17, 2008 | 10:30:35

our ACA should read my blog titled "LAW OF THE OBVIOUS"
AT www.paulnaidu.blogspot.com

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written by Beezee_Beezee, April 17, 2008 | 10:36:42

The intention to expose this is very good. Whether it is going to be in the spirit of properly establish enquiry it's only BN and the cornies know. The gormen has not shown that they have realised their failure and still acting in the WOLF clothing. Why because they cannot except that they had abused the Public money.
Kalu dah jadi kebiasaan memakan barangan yg Haram jadi semua yg haram to jadi HALAH lah didalam pemerintahaan BN.

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written by Wisdom above, April 17, 2008 | 10:39:21

It is getting more juicy & spicy .

Any way no case to answer.

The Minister did not sign the payment voucher.

NFA & the case will be closed in a creative manner in due course.

Syabas. Barisan Rakyat.

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written by Foong, April 17, 2008 | 10:55:46

Take my advice ACA. Don't put on show. End result will be no misdoing found and case quickly forgotten. Also check billions and not millions.

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Votes: +5

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written by mamu, April 17, 2008 | 11:33:57

Janganla hampa dok harap kat ACA sebab depa dok sibuk investigate kes $9 (SEMBILAN RINGGIT!!) hingga $1500 (SERIBU LIMA RATUS RINGGIT!!) di Kelantan.

Mamu ingat baik depa officially tukaq nama jadi CACA.
CACA tu kalau kat utara hanya sejenis buboq saja...makanan tak berzat untuk orang melayu miskin kat kampung-kampung. Tapi kalau nak bagi gah pun boleh: CACA = CORRUPTED Anti-Corruption Agency. Sapa setuju dengan mamu?

"It also gave gifts of pillows, pillowcases, bedsheets and blankets to the athletes and officials" si azalina haprak tu sekolah darjah berapa? sukan apa yang boleh berkembang dengan benda-benda ni? mamu ingat bEdminton boleh la...

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written by bn haramjadah, April 17, 2008 | 12:11:37

first of all UNDERSTAND THIS WHAT IS AN NGO AND WHAT IS A CLUB FOR HANDOUTS, NGO STANDS FOR NON GOVERMENTAL ORGANISATION which normally takes up issues against the govt which the govt ignore, like the plight of the poor or disabled, blind, and marginalised, single mothers,aids etc, and normaly the work done on a volanteer basis, now a club sukan or private umno members club which is looking for handouts from the ministery is normally for the wives of bored umno,bn wives who will push their husbands political profile while being paid at the expense of the rakyat, another unemployment drive for the dungu wives of politicians who can skim off the cream and have free holidays in the name of work studies in 5 star hotels with golf tournaments, and by calling it
ngo but who do nothing good for the people they dont get audited by audit dept, these groups will have names like pendekar, wanita bersemangat or some focking slogan. a waste of public funds for bored umno and bn housewives and means and ways to make some side money for house expenses like crystal chandeliars or sterling silver dinner sets.

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written by nguikb, April 17, 2008 | 12:32:19

i hope ACA (Aku Corrupted Agency) will do their investigation n send this minister to jail...ask some lesbian to accompany her

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written by Xerxes, April 17, 2008 | 14:03:21

"The ministry gives the NGO grants and it is its prerogative to spend the money."
so said the ACA.

So can I also set up an NGO, appoint a minister as Chairperson and write some bodek comments on my website and I will get multimillion dollar grants from the Govt? It boggles the mind that even the top ACA man can think in this escapist manner. Those are taxpayers' money and the NGO has a duty and responsibility to account for every sen spent to the ministry. And the ministry in turn should also scrutinise each accounts to ensure the money disbursed are spent wisely and what they are inteneded for. It will be a clear dereliction of duty if they fail to do so. Going by the damning Auditor General's report on the Sports Ministry, it is no surprise that no one gives a damn what and where the money is used. Or unless they have a good reason not wanting to know?

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written by The Truth Seeker, April 17, 2008 | 14:13:13

the minister is AZALINA

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written by joeawk, April 17, 2008 | 16:57:11

ACA, has anyone made a report. If not, why have you started investigation? Besides, why waste time when the AG will say not enough proof to win the case. Why waste public fund to pursue a non case.

Spend your time catching ikan bilis. The policemen who mend roadblocks, the RM50 and RM100.0 cases. It will add to the statistic of success.

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written by samarlin, April 18, 2008 | 01:53:40

Did you misuse the fund?
No.No.No.
Are you sure?
Yes.Yes.Yes.
Okay.No evidence.Case closed.

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written by samarlin, April 18, 2008 | 01:56:01

Did you misuse the fund?
No.No.No.
Are you sure?
Sure.Sure.Sure.
Absolutely sure?
Of course.
Okay.No evidence.Case closed.

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written by samarlin, April 18, 2008 | 01:59:26

Sorry for double input.Slow connection.My apologies to all.

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