Disaster relief in Pahang a 'monkey business'
The Pahang Community Welfare Department has been ticked off in the Auditor-General's 2010 Report for having left food meant for disaster relief in a state of disarray.
The Pahang Community Welfare Department has been ticked off in the Auditor-General's 2010 Report for having left food meant for disaster relief in a state of disarray.
According to the report, poor management and unkempt storage led to insect infestation, molding and worse still, a raid by monkeys.
"Unsystematic unloading caused tears in the cooking oil packets and rice bags at the store in Kampung Tekek and SK Sekara.
"Several bags in Kampung Tekek were also ruined by wild animals, such as monkeys, which broke into the store," the report says, though noting that some conditions were due to natural and unavoidable causes.
The expiry dates for the food items were also not stated, with the audit finding no traces of tracking systems ahead of the expected flood season in Pahang.
"(The agency should) conduct inspections on the remaining supply before anything is disposed of. The (inspection) committee chairperson must approve distribution of the food items to the poor," it says.
Interestingly, the audit found more items in storage than accounted for, except for 96 tinned squid and cockles that were missing. About half of the canned chicken curry were also nowhere to be found.
The audit was conducted from October 2010 to January 2011, a month before Bernama reported that 40 percent of the food meant for disaster relief in Pahang was not fit to be eaten.
Not a place for champions
Also in a sorry state are the sporting facilities at the Kuantan Gymnasium, Rompin Weightlifting Centre of Excellence and athletes' dormitories in Kuantan.
This is despite the state, which is to host the Malaysia Games (Sukma) 2012, spending RM9.14 million for sports development from 2008 to 2010.
The report says seats in the gymnasium were covered with a thick blanket of dust, while the roofs leaked and grime filled the toilets.
The rope for the gymnastic rings were close to snapping while the stuffing in the cushions of the weight training machines were coming out.
The athletes were also made to sleep on thinning mattresses, without bedsheets, on the floor in rooms with wardrobes that were falling apart.
Strangely, the audit found a dormitory that was equipped with bunks and proper wardrobes - but not put to use.
Bonuses, allowances and company trips
More fortunate are the directors and employees of LKKP Property Sdn Bhd, a state-owned property development company established in 1996.
The audit found the company to be over-generous.
"The allowance received by two members of the board of directors, who are civil servants, is not in compliance with the rates set (in a government circular)," it said.
The directors received more than RM65,000 in excess of what they should have received in annual allowances.
It also found that LKKP did not adhere to the ruling of a maximum two months' performance bonus, paying out up to four months in bonuses in 2009 and 2010 without the consent of the Pahang menteri besar.
The company also spent RM28,060 on a "working visit" to Indonesia for 21 people.
"The report from the visit was not be produced for the audit," it said.
LKKP also flouted procedures for its RM149,910 spent on renovations to its office in Capital Square, Kuantan, which was done through direct negotiations.
The audit also reports variation orders to initial contracts for its property development projects, costing RM1.14 million and RM2.08 million, for which approval was not sought from the directors.
"Corporate governance for (LKKP) has been less than satisfactory, especially when it comes to financial management.
"Financial management that was not controlled, coupled with poor internal controls, can affect financial standing in the future," the report says in calling on the company to observe government procedures and circulars.
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