Spending money meant for orphans, so what’s new?

comments     Yoursay     Published     Updated

YOURSAY | ‘Misappropriating funds is halal whilst using non-Muslim's supermarket trolley is not.’

'Minister went golfing, shopping with orphans' money'

Kim Quek: Spending RM420,000 of funds meant for orphans and poor children by the minister and his wife on travels and social events is an unconscionable act that cannot be justified under any circumstances, even when the minister was invited to make the trip by agencies under his purview.

First, it is absolutely wrong for the minister and his wife’s expenses to be allegedly charged to the orphans’ fund as the couple’s trip did not advance the welfare of the orphans and poor children in any way.

Second, the cost of RM420,000 - with air tickets for two alone costing RM275,000 - for the nine-day US trip is far too exorbitant. The minister has to give a full explanation of his expenses, especially the absurdly high air ticket prices.

Under the circumstances, the minister should at least be suspended, pending a full investigation; or better still, resign forthwith, to take responsibility for bringing disrepute to the cabinet.

Vijay47: Leaving aside everything else for the moment, how do you chalk up RM274,493 for two return air tickets?

I presume the specific destinations were Washington, Iowa and Minnesota in the United States of America, not some places just after Mars.

Anonymous 2299391436500295: I just did a quick check of First Class airfares for two, Kuala Lumpur-Washington DC, for next May 21-29 on expedia.com.

The most expensive round-trip fare for two is $26,600 or RM115,700 at today's exchange rate. Subtracting from RM274,500 (US$63,100) that still leaves RM158,800 (US$36,500) unaccounted for.

But the couple then took trips to Minnesota and Iowa before returning to Malaysia. They would be hard-pressed to spend that much on First Class tickets to the two Midwestern states, but I suppose it's possible that they paid full fare for all-inclusive, last-minute tickets that included the Minnesota and Iowa stops.

Other than that, the RM274,500 total looks to me like the cost of a private charter.

P Dev Anand Pillai: Misappropriating funds is considered halal whilst using the same supermarket trolley is not.

One wonders why ‘putran’ don’t complaint about halal and non-halal blood in our blood bank? Do the ‘putran’ only get blood from 'putran' donors or is the blood of kafirs 'halal-lised' when it is in the blood bank?

As long as robbers in suits, religious zealots and super pious mullahs are in charge, nothing will change.

Versey: I wonder those who are so mindful of the ‘non-halal’ trolleys used in supermarkets, what do they think of such conduct of lavishing fund meant for orphans and poor children on minister and family's leisure activities?

Is it not more sickening, unholy and insulting than handling ‘non-halal’ trolleys/baskets in the supermarkets?

Anonymous_1371464888: The so easily offended Malay politicians from Umno are not offended by this?

Now what the Malay defenders going to do about this? Is this not affecting the ‘maruah’ (dignity) of the Malays?

Indeed, it's the Umno politicians who are embarrassing and shaming the Malays.

Anonymous 29051438068738 : Going by past practice, this exposé will be dismissed as a desperate act by the 'enemies of Islam' - those mythical beings known only to those hopelessly addicted to first-class air travel, goods and services exclusively from the land of the great American ‘syaitan’, including golf in any of its world-class resorts.

Kangkung: Don’t expect these revelations to raise eyebrows. When the head himself has allegedly transferred RM2.6 billion into his personal bank accounts, what is RM410,978?

When you are with Umno, you are safe. No one can touch you and the expenditures will be easily explained off by the minister. After all, it may be just another generous donation.

Bumiputhran: The Malays from the rural areas and the 190 top Malay leaders from the supreme council has lost their moral compass.

These people have their minds infected with the deficiency of an ability to differentiate right from wrong. Corruption is part of their cultural value, accepted as the norm. What more is there to say?

Paul Warren: I cannot see what is wrong with what this minister has done. The country after all accepts all of this as being part of our culture. Whether it is 1MDB or this issue, as long as it is done by an Umno leader, it’s kosher (halal).

The only crime an Umno leader can ever be accused of committing is sodomy.

Headhunter: Well done, NOW. We need organisations like yours to be our watchdog.

It's time we put a stop to all these abuses that in all intent and purpose, is corruption in disguise.

Name them and shame them if you have concrete proof of their abuses. All NGOs should function like NOW and not be compliant and in cahoots with corrupt politicians, businessmen and civil servants.

If we let them continue to abuse their power, there will be no end to it. Our country, under PM Najib Razak, has really gone to the dogs.

Drngsc: Thanks for telling us, NOW director Akmal Nasir. We all know that it is happening all the time.

As for waiting for the minister to resign, you may have to wait a mighty long time. He will say, why should I resign when people who took RM 2.67 billion are still there?

Anonymous #96028182: Yes, this is leadership by example. My boss got even more and so are the others, why pick on me?

[ Editor's note: Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Jamil Khir Baharom in a statement has denied claims that he abused the funds meant for the needy.]


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