Monday February 13, 2012

Kedah MB vows to get to the bottom of ‘rebate money’

ALOR SETAR: Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak has promised to investigate claims that some Pakatan Rakyat representatives in Kedah have sought 30% in “rebate money” from allocations Chinese associations received from the state government.

Azizan, who was shocked by the claims of kickbacks, said this was the first time that he had heard of it.

He said all funds allocated to local associations were handled by the state finance unit, and not through Pakatan representatives.

Azizan said he was also taken aback by state Environment, Chinese Community Affairs and Transport Committee chairman Tan Joo Long who openly admitted to hearing of such kickbacks.

“I will speak with the state financial officer over the allegations. I will also talk to Tan about it. I won't take this issue lightly,” he said yesterday.

It has been reported that several Chinese association leaders claimed that the Pakatan representatives wanted a share of the allocations because of the role they had played in helping the groups secure them.

A Chinese daily quoted Tan as saying yesterday that he could not take action as there had been no evidence to support the claims.

Kedah MCA chairman Datuk Chong Itt Chew said at a press conference yesterday that he was shocked over Tan's statement.

He was taken aback by news reports that Tan had alleged that the incidents had occurred during Barisan Nasional's administration.

“As a former state exco member, I strongly deny it,” he said.

Chong said that during the Barisan administration, all allocations to the Chinese associations were banked into their accounts directly.

Kedah MCA received at least eight complaints from associations in Sungai Petani after the allegations were raised during a meeting between 25 Chinese associations in Sungai Petani and party president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek on Friday.

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