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Who benefited from PHB's RM14m luxury toilet project?
Ex-PHB manager fined RM50,000 for corrupt practices, but what about the RM14m luxury toilet big fish/fishes?
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 26, 2024: A Sessions Court today fined former Pelaburan Hartanah Bhd (PHB) manager Dicky Rahmat Abdullah RM50,000 after he pleaded guilty to six charges of accepting a total of RM50,300 in bribes.
That’s a small fish (anchovy or ikan bilis) in terms of corruption.
But what about the big fish/fishes (ikan jerung or shark) who benefited from a RM14 million luxury toilet project?
The silence on the matter is deafening, given the documents available on the project (see the previous report below).
No News Is Bad News reproduces below a news report on the court proceedings:
Former PHB building manager fined RM50,000 for accepting bribes
-26 Nov 2024, 12:52 PM
Dicky Rahmat Abdullah admits to receiving cash and bank transfers from a business to help it secure contracts.
Dicky Rahmat Abdullah pleaded guilty to six charges of accepting a total of RM50,300 in bribes.
SHAH ALAM: The sessions court here fined a former Pelaburan Hartanah Bhd (PHB) manager RM50,000 today after he pleaded guilty to six charges of accepting a total of RM50,300 in bribes.
Judge Nasir Nordin handed down the sentence on Dicky Rahmat Abdullah, 49, after he admitted to receiving cash and bank transfers from a business to help it secure contracts.
Dicky, a former building manager at PHB’s property management division, committed the offences between August 2021 and October 2022.
The charges were framed under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, punishable under Section 26 of the same Act which carries a jail term of up to seven years, a fine of up to RM50,000, or both, upon conviction.
The court ordered Dicky to pay the RM50,000 fine, failing which he would have to serve 36 months in jail.
The prosecution was led by deputy public prosecutor Muaz Ahmad Khairuddin while Dicky was represented by Diar Isda Yazmin.
In mitigation, the defence sought leniency, citing Dicky’s status as his family’s sole breadwinner.
Sunday, 17 November 2024
RM14m luxury toilet anyone?
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No News Is Bad News
Modern black and gold toilet with smart toilet bidet seat priced at US$2,599 (RM11,000+) by ToiletRoyaletry. Will PHB’s RM14 million toilets fitted with such toilet bowls?
RM14m luxury toilet anyone?
Update1
Ministry to probe claims that GLC spent RM14mil to upgrade toilets
-19 Nov 2024, 04:22 PM
Communications minister Fahmi Fadzil says netizens should exercise caution when coming across unverified information on social media.
Communications minister Fahmi Fadzil during a press conference after Finas and EPF signed a memorandum of understanding at Menara EPF in Shah Alam today. (Bernama pic)
SHAH ALAM: The communications ministry will look into allegations on social media that a GLC spent nearly RM14 million to upgrade toilets.
Speaking to reporters here, communications minister Fahmi Fadzil reminded netizens they should exercise caution when coming across unverified information on social media.
“We need to be careful about information on social media,” he said when asked to respond to claims that a GLC spent almost RM14 million to upgrade toilets.
“Not everything we read is accurate. Sometimes the content is posted for reasons only known to those who shared it, meaning there might be a hidden agenda.
“We will look into this matter thoroughly,” he said after attending the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the National Film Development Corporation (Finas) and the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) at Menara EPF here.
Separately, Fahmi said he will engage with several media rights groups which had expressed concern at Putrajaya’s purported proposal to amend the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 to include a licensing requirement for online media.
In a joint statement last Saturday, the National Union of Journalists Malaysia (NUJ), the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ), and Gerakan Media Merdeka (Geramm) called on the home ministry to clarify the purported amendment, which they said would stifle press freedom.
“I will get in touch with NUJ, CIJ, and Geramm to try and understand the issue better since the matter is based solely on news reports,” he said.
“Although the draft is not under the communications ministry’s purview, I am willing to listen to the views of our media partners and I will try to convey it (to the home ministry).
“Although this issue is not under my ministry’s jurisdiction, I will try to address it.”
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 18, 2024: Pelaburan Hartanah Bhd (PHB) approved what is deemed as “luxury toilets worth RM14 million!
Only in Malaysia can you find such toilets and has anyone seen what it looks like? No, of course not, because the toilet project is incomplete.
Will the project be completed? God knows!
PHB is a government-linked investment company (GLIC) under the Prime Minister’s Department (PMD).
And, The Coverage also posted another news report that the National Farmers Organisation (Nafas) is linked to an alleged misappropriation of RM1.8 billion of zakat funds to political parties.
The funds were intended to help 900,000 farmers!
To those involved in kleptocracy activities and dealings, please carry on until Malaysia is bankrupted! Perhaps Hollywood can be persuaded to make a potential blockbuster move titled “Please carry on looting in Malaysia!”.
No News Is Bad News reproduces below the two news reports posted by The Coverage:
PHB Spends RM14 Million On Luxury Toilet Makeover When Building Is Half-Empty – RM 210 000 Bonus Payout
18 November, 2024
AFTER being embroiled in what deemed to be a hefty bonus payout fiasco for its head honcho despite its poor key performance index (KPI) scorecard, Pelaburan Hartanah Bhd (PHB) – a government-linked investment company (GLIC) under the Prime Minister’s Department (PMD) – has again made waves in the social media for the wrong reasons.
This came about after an online whistle-blower furnished evidence of “how bizarre” the government-linked investment company (GLIC) led by its CEO Mohamad Damshal Awang Damit and facility management head Halim Hussain could have approved what is deemed as “luxury toilets worth RM14 mil).
“The company that won the tender, As-Syaff Resources SB (707387M), is very mysterious,” berated Moebiuz (@moe_biuz) in a thread-laden post on the X platform.
“For a company that doesn’t have a strong (construction) background to be appointed to handle an upgrade project worth almost RM14 mil is absurd!”
What irritates Moebiuz most is the fact that the occupancy rate of the Menara Aras Raya in Jalan Raja Laut, Kuala Lumpur where the toilet upgrading project would take place “is only at 40%”.
“As this building can be said to be HALF EMPTY, a LUXURIOUS UPGRADE is ridiculous. The tenants are only DBKL (Kuala Lumpur City Hall), AKPK (Credit Counselling and Debt Management Agency), PPTN (National Higher Education Fund Corporation) and former PM9 (Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob),” he revealed.
“Who approved the project (letter of acceptance was issued on Feb 28, 2024)? Damshal Awang Damit! (PHB’s CEO)!”
Delving further, Moebiuz further faulted Damshal for failing to ensure that the head of subsidiary PHB Property Ventures Bhd, Fauziah Azali, “carries out the task of increasing new tenants”.
“Almost the entire senior management of PHB under Damshal are earning blind salaries,” he hit out.
“They don’t perform their duties well even though on average they are paid between RM35k to RM50k/month; they thus failing to carry out both the AMANAH (trust) and BUMIPUTERA MANDATE!”
A commenter observed that at the end of the day, “it’s is not the Chinese, not the Indians but the Malays themselves who are ruining the Bumiputera economy” while another wondered if the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has opened its investigation paper on the matter.
Source : Focus
NAFAS RM 1.8 Billion Scandal Sheds Some Light On The Misappropriation Of ZAKAT – ZAKAT Funds Intended To Assist 900,000 Farmers Has Been Diverted To Political Parties
18 November, 2024
For decades, ZAKAT collection and spending has been very opaque due to almost complete lack of transparency and accountability. Many people who are in need of assistance are often denied any funds due to reasons such as being single mothers, where the child was born out of wedlock. There are also stories of states competing for ZAKAT funds from corporations by offering “divine” discounts to attract their funds to the particular state religious department.
ZAKAT is usually collected by mosques and channelled through to their respective religious departments. ZAKAT is a mandatory payment of a portion of a person’s wealth, which can be used for specific reasons:
1. Those living without means of livelihood (Al-Fuqarā’), the poor
2. Those who cannot meet their basic needs (Al-Masākīn), the needy
3. To zakat collectors (Al-Āmilīyn ‘Alihā)
4. To persuade those sympathetic to or expected to convert to Islam (Al-Mu’allafatu Qulūbuhum), recent converts to Islam, and potential allies in the cause of Islam
5. To free from slavery or servitude (Fir-Riqāb), slaves of Muslims who have or intend to free from their master by means of a kitabah contract
6. Those who have incurred overwhelming debts while attempting to satisfy their basic needs (Al-Ghārimīn), debtors who in pursuit of a worthy goal incurred a debt
7. Those fighting for a religious cause or a cause of God (Fī Sabīlillāh), or for Jihad in the way of Allah by means of pen, word, or sword or for Islamic warriors who fight against the unbelievers but are not salaried soldiers, and
8. Wayfarers, stranded travelers (Ibnu Al-Sabīl), travelers who are traveling with a worthy goal but cannot reach their destination without financial assistance.
Source : Murray Hunter
Nafas losing money everywhere, no different than poor farmers – director
A member of the National Farmers Organisation (Nafas) board of directors has come forward to express his frustrations with the group.
The statement was released amid the controversy surrounding the alleged suspension of its general manager, Faris Arriffin, following allegations of fund mismanagement.
In a lengthy post, Mohamad Zamir Ghazali described the farmers’ association’s main body as failing in everything it does.
PM: Let MACC probe Nafas over padi fertiliser cartel claims
Investigations into the National Farmers’ Organisation (Nafas) over alleged cartel involvement in the distribution and supply of padi fertiliser contracts should be left to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said authorities have the right to conduct inquiries into any government agency.
“Whoever it is without exception, if there is a case, the MACC will make a move. If it’s a criminal case, the police will go in. Iit doesn’t matter what department or rank, government-linked companies or private,” he said at the National Hawkers and Petty Traders Carnival 2024 (HPPK2024).
On Tuesday, MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki confirmed that it is investigating a cartel involved in the distribution and supply of padi fertiliser contracts linked to a ministry, with a total value of RM1.8 billion.
Breathe new life into Nafas, plead padi farmers
Che Ani, who is a spokesman for padi farmers in the Mada area, lamented that the quality of agricultural input supplied by Nafas – which is subsidised by the government, has been dwindling over the years.
He said padi farmers have been receiving subsidised fertilisers and pesticides worth up to RM1,400 per hectare through Nafas.
“I had always suspected something was amiss with Nafas. I wondered how Nafas recorded losses despite being the sole entity appointed by the government to supply subsidised agricultural input to the padi farmers.
“There were suggestions for the supply to be done through an open tender system, but the politicians argued that Nafas and the farmers would lose out.
“Ironically, padi farmers are made to spend an additional RM500 to acquire supplementary fertiliser and pesticide for each hectare of padi field to produce a good quality crop,” claimed Che Ani, without naming the politicians he was referring to.
He said padi farmers had to put up with the rising cost of agricultural input and dwindling yield due to the devastating impact of climate change.
“Hopefully, the government will clean up Nafas and the farmers will be getting a better supply of fertiliser and pesticide subsidised by the government,” he said.
Meanwhile, National Padi Farmers Brotherhood Organisation (Pesawah) chairman Abdul Rashid Yob called for a restructuring of Nafas.
“The Farmers’ Organisation Authority (FOA) as the registrar body should review the entire supply chain in the padi cultivation industry,” he said when contacted.
Rashid stressed the need to revamp the distribution and supply of agricultural input to ensure justice for padi farmers nationwide, since 95 per cent of Nafas revenue is from the fertiliser supply.
“We hope the investigation carried out by the MACC will create an opportunity for Nafas to operate without disruption from outsiders,” he said.
On Oct 29, it was reported that the MACC was investigating a cartel involved in the distribution and supply of padi fertiliser contracts linked to a ministry, with a total value of RM1.8 billion.
A day later, it was reported that the MACC detained a marketing executive from a company linked to a padi fertiliser procurement project valued at RM60 million.
Following the arrest, the graft buster had arrested four more individuals, including two former general managers of a public organisation to assist the probe.
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