Yayasan Pembangunan Ekonomi Islam Malaysia (Yapeim) has used more funds meant for orphans and poor children for programmes held in Australia, National Oversight and Whistleblowers (NOW) claims.

NOW director Akmal Nasir said Yapeim spread the total bill of RM218,505 over four of its entities, including Yayasan Pembangunan Anak Yatim/Miskin (Pemangkin).

The programmes were held in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne between April 16 and 24 last year and dubbed "Promoting Islamis: Values In Multi Culture and Religion: Future and Challenges", and were aimed at 50 to 70 Malaysian students in Australia.

Citing a budget estimate with Yapeim's stamp on it, Akmal said Yapeim paid the lion's share, forking out RM106,840, while Pemangkin was the second largest contributor having chipped in RM73,800.

The rest of the funds came from Institut Penyelidikan dan Perundingan Yapeim (Input) and YaPeim's Ar-Rahnu business, which paid RM25,215 and RM12,650 respectively.

The RM218,505 was used to pay for flight tickets, transport in Australia, entertainment, accomodation, printing, hall rental and concierge services.

For flights, Yapeim and Input paid RM70,000 for a business class ticket for several participants from Malaysia to Australia.

Pemangkin itself paid RM6,250 for economy class tickets from Malaysia to Australia as well as for several flights within Australia.

Why fly business class?

At a press conference at the NOW office today, Akmal had several questions for Yapeim's board of trustees and the overseeing minister, Jamil Khir Baharom ( photo ).

"What is the purpose of flying business class, and who were they who were on it?

"What was Yapeim's rationale for organising an overseas programme that was so expensive, even though only a small number of participants benefited?" he asked.

"If there was an excess of funds, it should have been channelled to those who need it, like the orphans and the poor, in line with the concept of goodwill," Akmal added.

Malaysiakini has contacted Yapeim for a response to these allegations.

Yapeim came under the spotlight after NOW made a series of exposes against it alleging mismanagement and corruption.

This included the claim that Yapeim deputy president Zaleha Hussin, her husband and son were appointed to several key positions in the foundation and its subsidiaries, giving them a joint income of RM81,700 a month.

Yapeim was also accused of using RM410,000 of Pemangkin's funds to pay for Jamil Khir's expenses and other costs for a trip to the US.

NOW also claimed that RM490,000 was spent on a marriage course in Paris.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki has said that Yapeim's board of trustees is fully responsible for the foundation's operations.

Asyraf also said that Yapeim's main source of income is its businesses, including the Ar-Rahnu operation, which has generated RM88.3 million in revenue for the foundation.