exclusive
More discrepancies are emerging in a memo and subsequent correspondence between the National Union of Bank Employees and its KL branch over the latters controversial annual dinner on Dec 29.NUBE general secretary J Solomon had issued a memo on Jan 30 to general treasurer Mohd Noor Basir, chiding him for failing to report on the annual dinner and dance despite being an observer.
The following day, Mohd Noor reported that approximately 500 to 600 people, including members, human resources managers, officers of various banks and finance companies and NUBE national exco members attended the dinner .
However, a leaflet in Bahasa Malaysia circulated later among the KL branch members stated that the only VIP present that night was NUBE deputy president Fauzi Samsuddin.
In the leaflet dated Jan 2, a writer who called himself Abdurrahman Abdurrahim claimed that he was present at the dinner and that 150 of the 550 present were invited guests who did not have to purchase dinner tickets.
The KL NUBE annual dinner and dance extravaganza held at the posh Sunway Lagoon Hotel last month has become mired in controversy with claims that the branch has lost RM97,000 over the affair. Allegations of tampering with the minutes of meetings held to discuss the events planning have also surfaced.
Fact-finding report
Abdurrahman also questioned the rationale of making members pay RM50 for the dinner when bank officers attend it for free. He stated that only 1.8 percent of the 14,000 branch members attended the dinner.
In his Jan 31 reply to the memo from Solomon, Mohd Noor maintained that the KL branch had no deficit and it was within its RM100,000 budget approved at the KL Triennial General Meeting on April 25, 1999.
He said the budget was tabled at a meeting held on Sept 17. Two sets of minutes have now emerged for this meeting with KL branch members saying one set bearing clear evidence of tampering.
After allegations of a deficit and tampering of the Sept 17 meeting minutes began emerging late January, Solomon sent letters to several KL branch committee members seeking verification.
A group of KL branch members has also accused the NUBE national exco, which voted against investigating the allegations, as colluding with the KL branch secretariat.
Solomon was then requested by the NUBE inter-relations committee to prepare a fact-finding report which he presented at a national exco meeting last Wednesday.
The report contained a breakdown of the expenses of the controversial dinner including RM70,000 for the classy venue, RM35,000 for music and performers and RM4,000 for the stage backdrop.
The dinner garnered RM24,000 in ticket sales and donations by banks but total expenses have come up to RM120,000 resulting in a deficit of more than RM97,000.
Special fund account
NUBE branches are required to follow certain procedures set out in a circular issued on Oct 30, 1999, when organising special projects like sports, social, charity or fund-raising events.
The circular states that the branch must set a budget for a particular project and table it before a committee before it can be allowed to create a special fund account.
This special fund account must be created in the balance sheet of the branch under the liability section.
A copy of the budget and the actual receipt and payment statement each is to be forwarded to the NUBE headquarters and subsequently tabled at a national exco meeting.
When contacted today, KL branch secretary A Prathiba Raj declined to say when the branch meeting will be held as he was quoted as saying last week.
NUBE president Johar Sulaiman said the branch will probably need some time to make arrangements before it can hold a meeting.
"I am not aware of when they will hold the meeting, but I think they need time to prepare for the meeting before they inform headquarters," he said.
