“Don’t turn a blind eye to the blind people and call us liars,” says Blind Solidarity Movement (BSM) spokesperson Hasidi Hassan.

Hasidi urged this today when making a plea for an external investigation into what he claims has been misappropriation of funds belonging to the Malaysian Association for the Blind (MAB).

“So far the investigation has been internal and domestic, by the same MAB board members,” Hasidi said in rebutting MAB president Tengku Azlan Sultan Abu Bakar, who called him a liar at a press conference last week.

Hasidi ( photo ) said that the sighted officials heading MAB should not threaten the blind with legal action on his expose that MAB had misappropriated the association’s funds.

At his press conference, Tengku Azlan said Hasidi was fully aware of all the decisions made by the council but is equally responsible for them as a council member, since all decisions are made on consensual and collective basis.

“It is therefore, totally incomprehensible and ironic that he should be leading the protests carried out by the BSM group on March 18 and April 30.”

On another point, Hasidi said: “We have adequate proof to show that MAB’s chief executive Ganesan Supayah is overpaying on his family’s personal property that has been rented by MAB.

“A four-storey shoplot in Rawang goes for RM7,000, but Ganesan is charging RM9,000 for a three-storey shoplot.”

Professional valuation was furnished

Tengku Azlan rebutted in a press statement that the allegation of MAB paying rental above the market rate was incorrect. “A professional valuation was furnished to Tun Hussein Eye Hospital. MAB is sub-tenant of the premises.”

He said MAB is structured to meet the demands of transparency, governance and accountability. The supreme body is the annual general meeting and below that is the council (the board).

Hasidi said that it was unfair of Tengku Azlan ( photo ) to call a press conference and state that the allegations made by BSM were totally false, malicious and defamatory.

“We have the right to lodge police reports and call for a full scale investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.”

Hasidi, who is also vice-president of MAB, said that BSM has several other black-and-white documents on MAB’s mismanagement of funds, such as the questionable awarding of tenders for IT jobs in which MAB did not follow financial procedures.

In addition, he said, that some sections of about 100 acres allotted for the welfare of the blind were being considered for development in Temerloh, Pahang.

Reason for last month's protest

It’s for this reason, Hasidi said, that about 150 blind members of MAB  protested peacefully outside the MAB office on Jalan Brickfields at the end of last month.

“We are serious about lodging reports on corrupt practices of the MAB officials with the respective ministries and government departments. The blind people cannot tolerate the bullying by the sighted officials of MAB and we are also consulting our lawyers on our rights as blind members.

“BSM is willing to face any legal action and will not stop just because Tengku Azlan is threatening to sue us.”

Tengku Azlan said MAB council members were considering taking legal action against the BSM for defaming them.

He added that BSM’s allegations had severely damaged the good name and reputation of MAB as an organisation serving the blind.

“Their allegations have tarnished our reputation among donors who have been contributing funds to the association,” Tengku Azlan said at a press conference at the MAB premises yesterday.

He also said that they had received another memorandum from the BSM last week.

“We will look into their requests and see how we can accommodate them. We have also set up a committee to look into their grouses,” he added.