Pempena Sdn Bhd: 2 officers and scams tied to Tourism Malaysia

During the reply by YB Minister of Tourism, I have asked her to clarify the following:

Subject:

Pempena Sdn. Bhd. – The National Tourism Development Company Set Up In 1976 by Tourism Malaysia Under Tourism Ministry

Terima kasih Tan Sri Yang di-Pertua dan YB Menteri Pelancongan,

Saya amat tertarik kepada produk-produk yang dibangkit oleh YB Menteri. Saya igin merujuk kepada laporan Malaysiakini pada 02-07-2008 dimana Malaysiaki telah bongkarkan satu skandal kewangan yang melibatkan terhadap PEMPENA SDN BHD, satu syarikat yang di tubuhkan pada tahun 1976 dan ia adalah di bawah kawalan Kementerian Pelancongan. 20 orang pekerja-pekerja Pempena telah menandatangani satu memorandum yang mempunyai 9 mukasurat dan pada 24-03-2008 mereka telah hantar kepada pengarah-pengarah Pempena, Tourism Malaysia Board dan Menteri Pelancongan tetapi sehingga kini tiada sebarang tindakan oelh Menteri tersebut.

Saya igin memetik dari laporan Malaysiakini, satu news portal yang terkenal:

“Two government officials of a government linked company have been implicated in a series of scams that have allegedly diverted millions of Ringgit in tourism-development funds into private pockets.

They are said to have:

1. Pocketed commissions when refinancing luxury vehicles for a high-end tourist taxi service;

2. Approved several contracts to RM2 companies supplying services for tourism-based projects;

3. Over-stated the costs of creating an e-tourism portal by about RM5 million; and

4. By-passed Pempena board of directors in “investing” in a restaurant project in Melbourne.

The memorandum named accountant Lim Khing Tai and senior business development manager Raja Norsan Raja Nasron as the main person behind the alleged scams.

It also claimed that chief executive officer Razali Mohd Daud, who is also deputy director general of Tourism Malaysia’s promotion department, had done nothing despite having received complaints.

Pempena is in poor financial shape compared to 2003, when it had RM50 million for tourism development projects. It now faces several high risk non-profitable investments.

The staff are angry because all this is due to CORRUPTION, CRIMINAL BREACH OF TRUST AND ABUSED OF POWER BY TOP MANAGERS.”

Saya berharap YB Menteri Pelancongan memberi penjalasan id dalam Dewan Yang Mulia ini apakah tindakan telah diambil oleh Kementerian YB terhadap memorandum tersebut jika tidak kenapa tidak.

At this stage, YB Tan Sri Speaker intervened and warned that I must be certain of what I have quoted from Malaysiakini. I told YB Tan Sri Speaker that I standby Malaysiakini’s report.

YB Minister informed Parliament that she had already set up an internal audit committee to investigate into the allegations in the said Memorandum and she will inform me of the result of the investigation.

Note:

The reply was not very satisfactory because the Memorandum was sent to her on 24-03-08 and she had 4 months to investigate.

Such allegations should be referred to the Auditor-General for investigation and at the same time report to the police and ACA.

Under the circumstances, I hope that the Ministry will take the allegations in the Malaysiakini report seriously.