PKR's Sri Muda assemblyperson Shuhaimi Shafiei has been implicated in the RM1 million irregular procurement for Karnival Terima Kasih Rakyat as a company linked to him had submitted a RM356,000 bill, the highest among all suppliers.

NONE However, Shuhaimi ( left ) has denied that he has had a hand in the selection of his assistant's company as the biggest supplier of the carnival.

Karnival Terima Kasih Rakyat was a political carnival organised by the Selangor government on Mac 25 to celebrate Pakatan Rakyat's fourth anniversary of governing the state.

An internal audit observation by the state treasury had unearthed various irregularities in the procurement of services and products for the event, prompting the state to withhold the payments to suppliers.

However, carnival's coordinator Ronnie Liu, who is also the Selangor state executive councillor, denied any irregularity and claimed that it was a " misunderstanding ".

According to the report, RM1,118,216 worth of procurement from 15 suppliers - except one with the Kuala Selangor local council - did not comply with the state's financial rules.

One supplier by the name of Idea Tank Sdn Bhd had submitted the highest claim among all 14 private companies - RM356,000.

Caught in fly trap?

It is owned by Selangor PKR publicity secretary Irwan Hidayat Abd Rahim, 30, an assistant of Shuhaimi, the Selangor PKR information chief.

Irwan is one of the two directors and shareholders of Idea Tank setup in October 2009 with a paid up capital of RM100,000, according to documents obtained from Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM).

The company had NONE issued three invoices to the state government - RM180,200 for providing banners, brochures, printing coupons, invitation cards, lucky draw registration forms and stage backdrop; RM75,700 for setting up the exhibition of Merakyatkan Ekonomi Selangor programme, and RM100,100 for organising football clinic, cultural performances, competitions and flying fox (sliding along a rope game), and providing programme management staff, video montage and multiple camera.

The audit observation report found all three procurement were carried out without local orders, quotations and financial approval, and the company neither registered with the Selangor Economic Planning Unit (Upen) nor the federal Finance Ministry (MoF).

Physical visits by the state treasury discovered that the premise was empty and unmanned.

Contacted yesterday, Irwan said he is not a politician, PKR leader or local councillor but a genuine businessman helping out with party work on a part-time basis, and his post as the state publicity secretary is not an official party position.

Claiming ignorance over the irregularities, he stressed that his company had obtained the procurement through due diligence.

"My company has the merit, track record and experience, so I applied (for the work).

More than meets eye

"They asked me to submit quotation and I submitted. They chose my quotation maybe because my price was the lowest," said Irwan, adding that his company has yet to receive payment from the state government.

Shuhaimi also told Malaysiakini that he has no hand in the selection of suppliers although he sat in the organising committee.

"The information chiefs of all three parties were in the organising committee which also involved cooperation from government agencies... I don't know about the decision (to select suppliers). I only attended the meeting twice.

"If (Irwan's) company is involved, maybe it was the decision of the committee. I was not involved in the selection," he said when contacted yesterday.

However, Shuhaimi revealed that Irwan also represented him and PKR at committee sittings.

ngo pro selangor government rally 230111 faekah He said any allegation against him in this matter is "wild and malicious" and may be related to his earlier criticism of Faekah Hussin ( left ), Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim's political secretary.

Earlier on, Faekah was accused of issuing a support letter for her niece's legal firm seeking appointment to represent state-owned Permodalan Negeri Selangor Bhd, but she has denied the charge.

Shuhaimi has repeatedly urged Khalid to take action against Faekah as swift action had previously been taken in cases where state officials' family members had been involved in state-linked transactions.