The Terengganu PAS government issued timber licences as 'gifts' and not via tender when it ruled the state from 2000 to 2004, the state legislative assembly heard today.

State Executive Councillor for Welfare, Health, Community Development and Women's Affairs Rosol Wahid said a total of 448 timber licences were issued by the PAS government over the period.

She told Abu Bakar Ali (BN-Kemasik) during question time in the House that the licences were issued as gifts and not by tender as it had claimed.

A Bernama report also quoted her as saying that even after the assembly was dissolved to pave the way for the general election in March, 17 licences were issued to companies and the Public Syura Committees.

Legality questioned

Asked whether it was legal to issue the licences when the assembly had been dissolved, she said this matter was being studied by the State legal adviser.

"But in my view the approval is invalid because during the period the government is only a caretaker one," Rosol said.

"The present government proposes to issue a White Paper on the timber issue for the information of the general public," Rosol said.

When Alias Abdullah (BN-Alor Limbat) referred to the PAS election manifesto which said PAS would practise the open tender system, Rosol said PAS did not practise what it preached and neither did it fulfil its election pledges.

She said the present Terengganu government had come up with the Islam Hadhari concept to ensure "what we preach, we practise and what we have pledged we will fulfil," she said.

Rosol felt that the people rejected PAS in the last election because it did not fulfil what its pledges.