KUCHING – Many warrant holders, the majority of them are district officers and secretaries of councils are now urinating in their pants following revelation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Sarawak that 60% of funds were diverted elsewhere.
So are some of the contractors, who conspire with the warrant holders.
That is of course if MACC is serious about the issues of funds being diverted elsewhere.
“Only 40% of the allocations were spent, while 60% are bocor (leaked out),” said Zakaria Jaffar, deputy commissioner (Prevention) of Sarawak MACC last week.
The Julau MP Joseph Salang, months back, had warned the State authorities not to divert federal funds meant for particular areas to elsewhere. “There are reasons why the funds have been allocated for the projects,” he had said.
The Bandar Kuching MP Chong Chieng Jen had also complained to MACC of federal fund meant for the Bandar Kuching constituency has been diverted to places like Lawas.
According to a former secretary of a council, the warrant holders should know the financial regulations. Even if the Chief Minister wants funds for certain projects diverted to projects in other areas, the warrant holder should seek permission or authority from the one who allocates the fund to divert it elsewhere. Because in the end of the day, you as a warrant holder will be answerable. The politicians will wash their hands.
Cases of funds being diverted are common in Sarawak. For example, the then deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim who was minister of finance had allocated RM39 million to tar-seal the Simunjan-Punda Road in 1996. But the fund was hijacked to Kota Samarahan. Only 10 years later the Simunjan-Punda Road was fully tar-sealed.
Another case of fund being hijacked was the fund meant for the construction of a secondary school in Pantu. The fund was diverted to Betong. Until today Pantu does not have any secondary school.
Bayai in Simanggang was also robbed off a technical school when the funds for it were hijacked to Betong.
I receive an interesting email from a reader of The Broken Shield, which reads as follows: -
So are some of the contractors, who conspire with the warrant holders.
That is of course if MACC is serious about the issues of funds being diverted elsewhere.
“Only 40% of the allocations were spent, while 60% are bocor (leaked out),” said Zakaria Jaffar, deputy commissioner (Prevention) of Sarawak MACC last week.
The Julau MP Joseph Salang, months back, had warned the State authorities not to divert federal funds meant for particular areas to elsewhere. “There are reasons why the funds have been allocated for the projects,” he had said.
The Bandar Kuching MP Chong Chieng Jen had also complained to MACC of federal fund meant for the Bandar Kuching constituency has been diverted to places like Lawas.
According to a former secretary of a council, the warrant holders should know the financial regulations. Even if the Chief Minister wants funds for certain projects diverted to projects in other areas, the warrant holder should seek permission or authority from the one who allocates the fund to divert it elsewhere. Because in the end of the day, you as a warrant holder will be answerable. The politicians will wash their hands.
Cases of funds being diverted are common in Sarawak. For example, the then deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim who was minister of finance had allocated RM39 million to tar-seal the Simunjan-Punda Road in 1996. But the fund was hijacked to Kota Samarahan. Only 10 years later the Simunjan-Punda Road was fully tar-sealed.
Another case of fund being hijacked was the fund meant for the construction of a secondary school in Pantu. The fund was diverted to Betong. Until today Pantu does not have any secondary school.
Bayai in Simanggang was also robbed off a technical school when the funds for it were hijacked to Betong.
I receive an interesting email from a reader of The Broken Shield, which reads as follows: -
“A sum of RM12,000 is given to renovate and repair old house to make it better. What I found out the allocation given is nearly RM3,000 only. The rest was alleged to have been swindled by DO in this proportion RM6,000 for the DO, RM6,000 for the contractor.
Most of the houses were only given atap spandek, abestos wall and minor repairs.Whoever tries to report this, they (house owners) were threatened that they will not be given again in future allocation.
A sum of RM40,000 is given to those who don't have a house. What I found out the allocation is only RM21,000 to build a house. Actually, there is a spec to follow but the DO gave directives to follow other drawing which the allocation amounts to RM40,000. I found out that the allocation was distributed among the DO RM9,000, and the contractors RM31,000.
The contractor subcontracts the projects to other contractors at the price of RM21,000. So what we see now is RM21,000 project which is far less than its original spec.
Instead of minimizing the squatters, the DO is trying to invite more squatters. The Land & survey had come to see the DO but the DO refused to cooperate instead called other officers who ‘tak tahu apa apa'.For now, none of the contractor has been given payment. For the first batch of the projects, the projects were following all the spec given under JKR monitoring. The contractor was given based on 'cabut undi'. The projects were inspected by JKR officer. No problem for the 1st project.
For the second batch of the projects which were given without ‘cabut undi’ to mostly 'alibaba contractors' involved (one contractor given 10 projects), the spec is from the DO. The DO ordered the contractors to follow his spec so that they could swindle the money.
For inspection, he ordered other officers from other departments to verify his projects. Most of the time he asked this officer to sign the completion of the project since JKR don't want to be involved in his wrongdoing.The corruption is rampant in this district with no one daring including ACA to probe these matters.”
Jetty heard the district officer has been picked up for investigation by MACC officers coming all the way from KL. - The Broken Shield
Source: www.thebrokenshield.blogspot.com
