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The RM1.5
million MPSP “flower” scandal – how many hundreds of millions or even
billions of ringgit of public funds are wasted at all three tiers of
government in this scandalous and outrageous way to benefit a few
privileged contractors? Media Conference Statement (3) by Lim Kit Siang (Penang, Sunday): I commend the sole DAP Penang State Assemblyman for Sungai Puyu, Phee Boon Poh, for his sterling performance at the first meeting of the Penang State Assembly, in particular for “digging up” the RM1.5 million MPSP “flower scandal”! In reply to his written question, the Penang local government committee chairman Datuk Dr. Teng Hock Nan admitted that the Seberang Perai Municipal Council (MPSP) had awarded a five-year contract worth almost RM1.5 million to Syarikat Mulia Sdn. Bhd to supply flowers to “brighten up” council offices from May 2000 to May next year. This is an outrageous and scandalous waste of public funds, spending RM5,750 for 100 dozen flowers each week, which could only “brighten” the faces of Syarikat Mulia Sdn. Bhd and others who gained from the five-year contract and “darken” the faces of the ratepayers, when the RM1.5 million would be better spent on the improving the basic infrastructures and services of direct benefit to the people in MPSP. MPSP Councillors responsible for such outrageous, scandalous and extravagant decision to waste RM1.5 million on flowers for the MPSP building and offices for five years should step forward to identify themselves and apologise for their most anti-social and irresponsible behaviour and the MPSP officers who were parties to such a scandalous contract should be immediately suspended from office for gross breach of public trust! In Parliament last week, I had proposed the establishment of ten Select Committees to deal with important national issues. Apart from the Select Committees on Criminal Procedure Code Amendment to check increase of sex crimes and on National Unity and Integration which will review the national service training programme, other Select Committees I had suggested concern parliamentary reform and modernization, human rights, national integrity, national competitiveness, quality in education, IT, Felda and the marginalization of Indian community into an underclass. Parliament should consider establishing a Select Committee on Good Governance which should address scandalous and outrageous waste of public funds at all three tiers of government, local, state and national, like the RM1.5 million MPSP “flower scandal”, which could total hundreds of millions and even billions of ringgit! The RM1.5 million “flower contract” should be terminated immediately in the public interest, although there is still a year before it expires. |