MACC must investigate the wedding
As chief minister, Mohd Ali has no business accepting favours from businesses.
Chua Jui Meng
Malacca Chief Minister Mohd Ali Rustam’s special secretary MS Mahadevan told the Star yesterday that “many of the caterers and other businesses provided their services for free” at the CM’s son’s wedding.
Isn’t that corruption? As chief minister, Mohd Ali has no business accepting favours from businesses.
Why don’t those businesses also offer free services to others, the layman? So, how is Ali going to respond to the “business donors” when they ask for contracts?
In the first place, it is unethical for anyone holding high public office to accept “free” favours. Even hampers have to be declared in corporate organisations that observe strict ethics.
I now wish to refer to two newspaper reports on the mega wedding, so dubbed because a record 130,000 people attended the reception:
The Star: Malacca Chief Minister Mohd Ali Rustam’s special secretary MS Mahadevan said: “… 500 people had volunteered while many of the caterers and other businesses provided their services for free.”
Malay Mail: On whether he had sponsors, he (Ali) said companies had advertised their products in the wedding souvenir book.
“As advertisers, they have to pay the advertisement cost by giving away products, such as 50,000 cans of Kacip Fatimah drinks … citing Mamee Sdn Bhd and Orang Kampung Drinks Sdn Bhd as among the companies that advertised.”
There appears to be some interesting points raised in the statements issued by Mahadevan and Ali with regards to organising the RM600,000 wedding reception.
The RM600,000 bill, as claimed by both, is also generally being disputed by many Malaysians because that would work out to less than RM5 per pax for 130,000 diners.
Would there be enough food? Do you hear complaints of food shortage at the eight-hour wedding reception?
Whether the bill is RM600,000, RM1.3 million or RM13 million is another matter.
Ali’s blatant acceptance of favours for his son’s wedding is most unethical, akin to admitting receiving bribes.
Unless Ali now wants Mahadevan to take the rap and admit that his statement, issued on behalf of the CM’s office, was erroneous or misquoted.
This is the same man who was punished by his party, Umno, for using money politics to win political support.
Chua Jui Meng is PKR vice-president and Johor PKR chairman. He is a former MCA vice president and ex-health minister.
