Selangor wants MACC to probe BN for state funds abuse
By Neville Spykerman, The Malaysian Insider
A Selangor state legislative inquiry wants the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to probe claims that Barisan Nasional (BN) lawmakers had misused state funds for election campaigns last year.
Selangor legislative Speaker Teng Chang Khim said the graft busters should start with disclosures at a hearing today that a former lawmaker spent RM42,500 to set up polling district centres in his state constituency.
“This a good case for MACC to come in on,” said Teng, who is the chairman of Selcat, the state government watchdog which is holding a public hearing on how state allocations meant for small projects and emergencies were managed by the previous and current administrations.
According to documents presented by Selcat, the previous Sri Muda assemblyman had spent RM2,500 to set up 17 district polling centres before the March 8, 2008 general elections.
Klang district officer Bakhtiar Husin, who was testifying before the public inquiry earlier today, was at a loss to explain the purpose of these centres and why his office, which is tasked with regulating the use of state funds, had sanctioned the move.
Bakhtiar said the former assemblyman was the best person to ask what the centres were for.
He said it was unclear if they were part of the Election Commission’s operation centres or centres run by political parties during election campaigns.
“We trusted the law makers,” he said.
