Enrol yourself in accounting class, minister told
(Harakah Daily) – SHAH ALAM, Mar 21: A misreading of an audit report by an UMNO leader has drawn flak from the Selangor state government, who urged the Federal government to give him a crash course on accounting.
“They fail to make use of the audit report that we presented. They fail to understand what is expenditure, profits and losses as well as cash flow in an account.
“We urge the federal government to send them to accountancy courses to learn about accounting and financial management,” said Faekah Husin, the political secretary to Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim.
Faekah was responding to a claim by Selangor UMNO leader Noh Omar (pic) that a recently issued audit report of state-run educational foundation Yayasan Selangor showed the foundation had squandered some RM800,000 for a luncheon to celebrate its 40th anniversary.
The planned luncheon was however cancelled following the Selangor Sultan’s decision to snub it, which later prompted the Selangor government to investigate claims of financial mismanagement in the organisation.
Faekah said the sum mentioned by Noh was actually the total cost of programmes lined up for the foundation’s anniversary celebration throughout the year.
“It is clear that UMNO leaders, although being appointed as ministers, can be illiterate when it comes to accountancy,” said Faekah, referring to Noh, who is also minister for Agriculture and Agro-based Industry.
First audit in five years
Following revelations that Yayasan Selangor registered a deficit of RM7.41 million from January till November 2010 due to mismanagement and unplanned expenditure, the board of directors chaired by Khalid had sacked the foundation’s deputy general manager Mohd Saifulruddin Sulaiman.
One of the main costs in question was the RM1 million spent for the foundation’s 40th anniversary celebration, out of which RM300,000 had been allocated for the cancelled luncheon.
