BN's Spend-Spend culture

Nades in The Sun:
Song and dance while others suffer
Besides, there’s an expenditure for shirts and uniform. Why should Joe Public pay for these people to strut around in tailor-made shirts? Please tell us why they deserve to be given even clothes!
R. Nadeswaran

ON Monday, the sports fraternity, police officers and government officials pored over details on the route the Olympic Torch will take when it arrives on our shores. Foremost on their minds was what to expect from protesters – sympathisers of Tibet and members of the controversial and much-maligned Falungong sect which is banned in China.

If I were in their shoes, I wouldn’t worry much about these groups. I would rather be frightened of Malaysians who have managed to get a copy of the annual report of the Women’s Sports and Fitness Foundation Malaysia (WSFFM), which discloses some sordid details.

Malaysians would rather protest against how their money has been mismanaged than bother about what’s going on in Tibet.

Financial statements published in annual reports never go into details, most of the time, being lumped one under sub-headings; but the foundation’s report for last year makes compelling reading. But before that, something on this organisation – WSFFM.

According to its website, the foundation is devoted to the empowerment of women through sports and fitness. The foundation, the website says, has pursued this goal from 1995 along with “our humble quest to enlighten women on the significance of sports and fitness as a national agenda”.

It also says (reproduced verbatim): The chairperson of WSFFM, Dato’ Seri Azalina Othman Said, is a leader with a distinction, inspiring and is truly sincere in making a difference in women’s life. It’s indeed an honor for the Foundation to have the first woman Minister of Youth and Sports as our Chairperson. Dato’ Seri Azalina has always advocated unity and women empowerment through sports. She has motivated and enabled girls and women to reach greater heights. The realizations of her vision and strategic plans have already begun and been proven.

But looking at the income and expenditure, one wonders whether these goals have been achieved. Let’s look at the income: The National Sports Council gave a grant of RM9.72 million and another RM1.5 million came from the Youth and Sports Ministry. There were two smaller amounts – RM200,000 from the Olivia Newton John concert and RM110,000 from Datuk Dina Rizal’s Sports Unite Sdn Bhd.

No one will complain about that. But when the page is turned and the expenditure is listed out, one cannot but be aghast over how the money had been used. Before even one sen is spent, the question that should be foremost on the minds of the people who are holding public money in trust should be: How will doing this help the sportswomen?

For purposes of easy reading and understanding of the issues involved, here’s where the bulk of the money went:
• Grants RM1.18 million
• Meals and Accommodation RM2.1 million
• Media and Advertising RM932,000
• Post and Production RM710,000
• Printing and Stationery RM710,000
• Rental of Equipment RM865,400
• Volunteers’ Allowances RM242,000
• Wages RM117,700
• Entertainment RM1.4 million
• Travelling and Transportation RM858,000

But before anyone argues that this foundation is a non-governmental organisation and the media has no right to question how it spends money, let it be said that this foundation received more than RM11 million in taxpayers’ funds. Every right-thinking Malaysian must ensure that it is spent prudently and for the benefit of the rakyat and not on self-seeking or syiok sendiri projects.

If meals, accommodation and entertainment accounted for 30% of the expenditure, then something is wrong with the system and no one cared for a basic principle called prudence.

Besides, there’s an expenditure for shirts and uniform. Why should Joe Public pay for these people to strut around in tailor-made shirts? Please tell us why they deserve to be given even clothes! Then there’re payments totalling RM250,000 as “gifts and condolences”. What the heck is this? Why is taxpayers’ money being used to buy such expensive gifts and messages of condolences?

And it cost RM100,000 for the “upkeep of temp(orary) secretariat. What? Then, there’s this payment of RM20,900 as “professional fee”. For what and to whom? What kind of professional services were rendered?

Who did they entertain for RM1.4 million or who did they pay that sum of money for to be entertained? Of course not Newton-John because she performed at Genting which donated RM200,000 from the ticket sales. So, where did our money go?

What could have been done with RM1.4 million? For a start, at least 1,000 of those who live below the poverty line could have received RM100 a month each in allowances for a year! At least 100 children with heart diseases could have gone for surgery without having to go on the streets with begging bowls.

And imagine a handful of people entertaining or being entertained while the poor eat kanji as their only meal or while children continue to suffer, unable to afford treatment. Is it justified?

If there’s nothing to hide, just open the books for public scrutiny. After all, our money was used. And to the National Sports Council: How did you approve such a sum of money for all these luxuries?

Don’t forget, the allocation for sports is not for entertainment, shirts or meals. And the director-general and the board members owe a responsibility to the taxpayers by telling us the truth, but nothing but the truth.

R. Nadeswaran says spending millions of taxpayers’ money on entertainment and food is unforgivable and those responsible should be named and shamed. He can be reached at: citizen-nades@thesundaily.com

It would be wise for Azalina to refute the allegation of extravagance when she was Youth & Sports Minister by providing details, unless she considers this beneath her and challenge Nades to stand for election!

Anyway, I visited the site and got the impression that it looks more like Azalina The Star site than a women organisation’s.

NST) PUTRAJAYA: The Anti-Corruption Agency will look into a minister's links with a non-governmental organisation that purportedly spent RM1.4 million of public funds on entertainment claims.

The minister is the chairperson of the NGO, which receives grants from the government.

An ACA source said the NGO's annual reports would be scrutinised, although this did not mean the agency was opening investigation papers.

"The ministry gives the NGO grants and it is its prerogative to spend the money. However, we will do a thorough check and look at their annual reports," the source said.

More information had to be gathered before deciding whether investigation papers would be opened, the officer added.ACA deputy director-general Datuk Abu Kassim said he would comment on the case after receiving more information from his officers.

In an immediate response, the Women's Sports and Fitness Foundation Malaysia (WSFFM) emailed to newspapers its explanation on its spending.

WSFFM said it organised the National Women Games last year, with the participation of 3,400 athletes and 600 officials.

It also hosted an international conference, attended by 289 participants, and various courses for 780 officials.

For the games, it provided free internal transport between the games village and competition venues, as well as meals for athletes and officials.

It also gave gifts of pillows, pillowcases, bedsheets and blankets to the athletes and officials. Each set was priced at RM44.

WSFFM explained that these were given as it would have cost the organisers RM60 per person per day to rent them at the games village.

T-shirts were also given to athletes, officials, volunteers, technical officers and others for easy identification.

On grants, it said RM30,000 was given to each of the 15 state sports council and to the national sports associations for organising the competitions.

The email also listed wages and allowances but no amount was given.

On the RM1.4 million entertainment bill, WSFFM said: "The precise definition of the term entertainment used in the accounts encompasses a broad range of expenses related to sports events, athletes and team management participating in the National Women Games 2007."

This included ceremonial events, opening and closing ceremonies, and prize-giving ceremonies.

"The WSFFM is able to justify every single expense and investment the government, Ministry of Youth and Sports and the National Sports Council provide to women and sports through us.

"There is no manipulation in our expenditure, no one has taken a single sen for personal gain and we have been very transparent to publish this for public consumption."

I am sure most people would like to know more than ‘able to justify every single expense’ as in whether there were cheaper alternatives, deliberate over-charging, or whether certain items were in fact necessary, and not just having vouchers to substantiate expense items which any purveyor can provide.