Khalid hits back at Khir

By Maria J. Dass, The Sun

It’s an eye for an eye in the war between the present and former Mentri's Besar of Selangor.

Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim has dug up state subsidiary Permodalan Negeri Selangor Bhd (PNSB) files that show his predecessor and previous PNSB chairman Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo was provided with a Toyota Harrier in 2005.

The car and a driver (provided a year later) were perks that the former MB enjoyed until he resigned from the post in March last year. The costs incurred for petrol and  maintenance of the vehicle were borne by PNSB.

In a statement issued today, the MB’s office said a group of advisors appointed by Mentri Besar Incorporated (MBI) is currently  conducting an evaluation of PNSB to enhance its performance.

Among the discrepancies discovered was that none of these benefits were included in EA forms submitted earlier by PNSB to the Inland Revenue Board (IRB).

Following this, MBI today directed PNSB to submit to the IRB a list of all benefits in kind that the company has given to its employees in past years.

“This directive was made following the discovery that PNSB has over the years failed to declare benefits in kind in EA forms submitted to IRB,” the statement said.

Khalid, who is MBI and PNSB chairman, said the move was aimed at ensuring that the state subsidiary does not run foul of the law.

PNSB has over the years given its employees, including its chairman and directors, benefits in the form of material, cash or both. These included cars and drivers as well as holidays at local and international destinations.

Holiday benefits are given to all staff, while cars and dedicated drivers are provided only to the chief executive cum director, senior managers and managers, the statement said.

The revelation over the car is seen as a swipe at Khir, who has been making a litany of allegations against his successor.

Among these were claims that Khalid had not stopped Kumpulan Darul Ehsan Bhd (KDEB) from purchasing a Lexus 460 worth RM1 million for his personal use.

However, Abdul Khalid, clarified that there was no need for him to do this as he had his own car – a Lexus RX350 – which he bought with cash in July 2007 for him to move around in during the Ijok by-election.

State officers clarified that the Lexus 460 was loaned to the MB by the service centre where his Lexus RX350 was being serviced.

Abdul Khalid was later accused of using state funds to maintain his personal car which he uses for official purposes.

Last week, Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Datuk Seri Ahmad Said Hamdan announced there was  evidence of abuse of power by Khalid pertaining to the car and 46 cows that were donated by state-owned Perbadanan Kemajuan Negeri Selangor (PKNS) to Bandar Tun Razak where Abdul Khalid is parliamentarian.

These new allegations come hot on the heels of exposes by the state involving the purchase of 12 units of property in the Al Marwah Tower in Makkah, Saudi Arabia between Sept 17 and 19, 2007 for RM25.6 million although PNSB had on Sept 14 approved RM8 million to purchase only five property units in the tower.

However, between Sept 25 and Oct 3 the same year, PNSB received cheques amounting to RM17.2 million from an individual – said to be for the purchase of seven units from PNSB. No official receipt was issued to acknowledge it.

In the statement yesterday Abdul Khalid said he is aware of the growing concern among PNSB employees over the financial implications due to the under-declaration of the past EA forms.

He urged the staff to be patient as they will now have to wait for the IRD to raise the additional individual assessment.

He added that PNSB will comply with all Income Tax regulations when submitting the EA forms.