Why empty Bangsar space rented by LPA under you, DAP man asks BN candidate

Over 3,069 sq ft at Menara UOA in Bangsar was rented for RM14,634.36 a month for three years, without any signs of activities including the absence of office equipment and furniture.

(FMT) – A DAP leader has taken Barisan Nasional’s Tanjung Piai candidate Wee Jeck Seng to task over some RM500,000 in rental payments by the Labuan Port Authority (LPA) he once headed for an office space in Kuala Lumpur.

Wong Kwan Kit, who heads DAP’s Victoria Utara branch in Labuan, cited the Auditor-General’s report on LPA’s financial statement ending Dec 31, which showed over 3,069 sq ft at Menara UOA in Bangsar was rented for RM14,634.36 a month for three years, without any signs of activities including the absence of office equipment and furniture.

“The Auditor General reported that such action could not be justified, and as a result, there is a wastage of public funds amounting to RM526,836.96 which is more than half a million ringgit.

“Why was there a need for such an expensive and huge office space in KL, which is 1,500 km away from Labuan?” asked Wong.

FMT is attempting to get Wee’s comments.

He said there was already existing space for LPA in the Marine Department’s building in Labuan.

He also questioned why so much public funds were used to rent an office space that was “not being used”, adding that LPA was still bound by the rental agreement signed during Wee’s tenure as chairman.

Wee is facing Pakatan Harapan’s Karmaine Sardini, Wendy Subramaniam (Gerakan), Badhrulhisham Abdul Aziz (Berjasa) and independents Faridah Aryani Abdul Ghaffar and Ang Chuan Lock in the Tanjung Piai by-election.

Previously, Wee denied accusations of corruption linked to the Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) system at the Malaysia-Singapore border.

The Auditor-General’s Report 2017 (second series) last year had pointed out that the VEP system had failed to recognise the plate numbers of 0.07% of vehicles, leading to RM17,100 in losses.