Melaka PAS calls for action over zakat losses
By Harakah Daily
MELAKA, Jan 5: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has been taken to task for failing to act on Melaka Chief Minister Mohd Ali Rustam for possible fraud, as reported by the Auditor’s General in its annual report for 2009.
PAS’s Melaka deputy commissioner Adly Zahari (right) questioned why the body had yet to initiate any action despite the possibility of corrupt practices in the Melaka Islamic Religious Department (MAIM) under Ali Rustam’s chairmanship.
The Auditor’s report in 2009 has noted that the failure of a company Regal Merger Sdn Bhd to build the MAIM complex caused the department to spend RM13.85 million from zakat money.
Adly accused the Melaka state government of negligence for not checking on the company which violated the contract by its failure to construct the MAIM complex when its terms expired on June 13, 2004.
“MAIM had signed an agreement with RMSB on December 13, 2002. RMSB was required to build the MAIM Complex at PT 1155 in Bandar Bukit Baru, Melaka in the span of 18 months after the signing of the agreement with a cost of RM 10.16 million.
“As a return of favour, RMSB had been given a right to build a land at PT 83, and MAIM would transfer PT 83 to RMSB once the MAIM Complex was completed,” said Adly, who added that MAIM lost several plot of lands to third party in their dealings with Regal Merger.
Adly said that upon receiving PT 83, Regal Merger divided the land into 5 small lots, Lot 105 to Lot 109, with the approval from Melaka’s Land and Mines Office on December 14, 2006 despite its failure to complete the MAIM Complex.
