Wan Ab Halim Wan Ismail has been on leave since November, and terminated from service last month.
Meena Lakshana, fz.com
Wan Ab Halim Wan Ismail, who is chief executive officer (CEO) of sand mining company Kumpulan Semesta Sdn Bhd (KSSB), a subsidiary of the Selangor government, had been sacked effective last month for abuse of power and violating company procedures.
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When contacted, sources in the Selangor government confirmed to fz.com that Wan Ab Halim, who was appointed CEO in July 2010, had received notice of his firing in early January.
A Sinar Harian report today, quoting sources, said the KSSB board of directors fired Wan Ab Halim for abuse of power and violating operating procedures.
The move came as a surprise for many quarters within KSSB as Selangor mentri besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim had extended the CEO's contract for another two years last July. The company, too, has been doing financially well under his watch.
The sacking follows an independent investigation by a firm appointed by the board of directors to look into financial operations of the company.
Sources close to KSSB told the Bahasa Malaysia daily that Wan Ab Halim was alleged to have sanctioned illegal sand mining last year.
Last November, he received notice to go on leave from the Selangor MB, and this was then extended till end-December.
The CEO position at KSSB was created after two of the company's directors, who are state assembly members, were investigated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in 2010.
Wan Ab Halim, 62, has wide prior experience with companies that are involved in the mining of mineral resources such as sand, tin, iron and gold.
KSSB was established on June 26, 2008 to pioneer the mining of sand and other minerals in the state.
