Balkis transferred RM10mil, act caught on by Khalid

RM10m gone in 3 days

PETALING JAYA (April 24, 2008): Three days after their husbands lost power to rule Selangor, the wives got into the act – plotting to dissolve a welfare body and remove almost RM10 million from its bank accounts.

But their attempts have been thwarted by Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim who wrote to the Registrar of Societies (ROS) to question the validity of the decision to dissolve the Association of Wives of State Assemblymen and Members of Parliament in Selangor (Balkis).

It is learnt that Abdul Khalid has ordered a thorough investigation and audit into the affairs of the association which was set up in 1985 to undertake welfare work.

According to documents sighted by theSun, Datin Seri Zaharah Kechik, the wife of former mentri besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo had on March 11 convened an extraordinary general meeting of the committee to dissolve Balkis and close its bank accounts. The following day, the accounts were closed, with the money transferred to another account and then to Bakti – the federal Organisation of Wives of Ministers which Balkis is affiliated to.

On March 13, the former exco members of Balkis issued a notice of dissolution to the ROS, which included amending the constitution of Balkis and establishing a new organisation – Balkis-BN, is among the names suggested.

However, the ROS in a letter stated that Balkis’ application for dissolution was incomplete and gave it 30 days to furnish additional information.

The constitution of Balkis states that the mentri besar’s wife should be the president. Sources in the state government argue that since Mohamad Khir is no longer MB, Zaharah is no longer the president and has no power whatsoever to dissolve the association or liquidate its funds. Incidentally, the constitution also states that the organisation must remain apolitical.

Legal experts say by right, following the events of March 8, the exco headed by Zaharah should have convened an emergency meeting to discuss the handing over of Balkis to a new exco – with the new president being Abdul Khalid’s wife Puan Sri Salbiah Tunut.

Full article here.

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Isu wang Balkis RM10 juta ke DUN S’gor

Wang kira-kira RM9.9 juta milik Badan Kebajikan Isteri-isteri Wakil Rakyat Selangor (Balkis), yang dilapor dipindahkan ke satu akaun lain, akan dibawa ke sidang Dewan Undangan Negeri bulan depan.

Mengulas kontroversi tersebut, wakil rakyat Kampung Tunku, Lau Weng San, mempersoalkan cara bekas menteri besar itu menjelaskan isu tersebut.

“Saya berasa ganjil dan aneh apabila skandal yang melibatkan pemindahan dana itu … dijawab dengan tanpa segan silu oleh Dr Mohamad Khir,” katanya.

“Kemusykilan pertama, mengapakah pengerusi Balkis, Zaharah Kechik sendiri tidak menjelaskan perkara ini apabila ia dilaporkan sebagai berita muka pertama oleh akhbar harian bahasa Inggeris, The Sun?”

Full article here.

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Siasat hakim kes pindah RM10 juta

Seorang hakim dilaporkan terlibat memberi nasihat kepada Badan Amal dan Kebajikan Tenaga Isteri-isteri Menteri (Bakti) dalam kontroversi penyaluran wang RM9.9 juta dari Badan Kebajikan Isteri-isteri Wakil Rakyat Selangor (Balkis) selepas ia cuba dibubarkan pada 13 Mac.

Sambil menggesa siasatan dijalankan terhadap hakim tersebut, bekas pegawai khas Pertubuhan Bangsa-bangsa Bersatu (PBB) Datuk Param Cumaraswamy berkata perkembangan itu “luar biasa”

“Jika ia benar-benar terjadi (seperti dilaporkan), hakim itu mesti dipanggil untuk menjelaskan tindakannya itu,” katanya, mengulas laporan tentang skandal tersebut.

Full article here.

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WHAT? Even the wives are into this kind of unscrupulous act now? What has Selangor come to? And to think that this association started off being an association dedicated to the welfare of the people. Seems like it’s more interested in the members of the association than the people right at this moment. If the association was purely for the welfare of the people, then there shouldn’t have been a problem of wanting to “prevent the association from being taken over by the new state government”. It was never to belong to the state government in the first place.

Perhaps these women are just afraid of having the rug under their feet being tugged at. Or maybe they’re sentimental over this association which was theirs for such a long time. But it’s still no reason why they would transfer that amount of money out, and try to dissolve Balkis altogether, when it clearly states that Balkis is to remain apolitical. It is the association of wives of the reps of the Selangor State. It is NOT an association for the wives of BN reps in Selangor.

But at least we know that the money is still there, somewhere. At least it didn’t just disappear into thin air. Whether they were meaning to “telan” the money or not, remains a guess, at best, but at least they didn’t manage to do it, if that was what they intended. If all goes well in court next month, the RM10 million should go back to Balkis, which would then be headed by Tan Sri Khalid’s wife, and welfare projects would go on as per usual.

**READ this, a commentary by R. Nadeswaran in the Sun. Looks like Balkis is just a “small fish” amidst the many “improprieties” going on in Selangor.

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