Umno: SDO left Komtar before renovation

State development officer (SDO) Nik Ali Mat Yunus, whose former office in Komtar was in a mess despite costly renovations, has reportedly denied the Penang government's allegations that he was responsible for the expenditure.

Nik Ali also said he moved out of the premises (right), located at the 45th floor, before the said renovations took place and denied responsibility for its currently sorry state.

Pulau Betong (Umno) assemblyperson Muhammad Farid Saad said he had ‘clarified matters’ with the SDO yesterday, and claims that the state has got its facts wrong and  erred in blaming Nik Ali for wasting public funds.

Muhammad Farid questioned how the state had obtained its information regarding renovations cost reportedly amounting to RM450,000.

“Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and his staff are new people. It (therefore) seems someone is feeding him with information. This person probably has an agenda,” he said.

“I am afraid it (this trend) can become a case where people are used to tell on others,” he added.

Yesterday, DAP Komtar assemblyperson Ng Wei Aik raised the issue as they were planning to use the space for expanding the state secretariat, and considering asking the SDO’s office for funds to clean the mess as per the tenancy agreement.

'Just moving furniture'

Meanwhile, Muhammad Farid said Nik Ali was not aware of the renovations, as he had only joined the Penang state development office in 2007.

He added that the under instructions from Putrajaya the SDO  together with other federal officers moved from Komtar to the federal government building in Jalan Anson after March 2008.

“It is a normal instruction for everyone. When they moved into the new building, the officers (had to bring) along their old furniture, so the issue of wasting public funds does not arise,” he said.

Muhammad Farid called for a cease-fire all for all parties to refrain from targeting Nik Ali, as “we have a lot of work to do”.

He added that after the last row with Lim (right) over alleged sand theft in Balik Pulau, when the CM had tagged the SDO a ‘little Napoleon', Umno and Nik Ali had decided not to prolong the issue in the media.

“Everyone has aired their views, including the chief secretary and even PM Najib Razak. Let’s leave it at that. Let bygones be bygones,” he pleaded.

“Don’t let the people of Penang be flooded with this kind of arguments, do not confuse people,” he said.

'Be fair to civil servants'

Muhammad Farid, who is political secretary to Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohammed Nor Yakcob, said the latest brouhaha between Lim and the SDO was “personal”.

“Please do not let it become a fight between communities,” he said.

“Don’t be like a dog that keep barking up a tree, you will get a sore throat,” he said jokingly, playing on the Malay proverb ‘bagaikan anjing menyalak di bukit’.

“If people are quiet does not mean they are losers. If you want to go to war, let’s do it properly. Otherwise, be fair to ourselves and to the civil service,” he said.

Nik Ali (left) continues to ruffle the feathers of DAP led state government over a number of state-federal issues.   

Since his outburst calling Lim ‘biadap’ (rude) at a press conference organised by Umno, the SDO has remained elusive.