A tsunami of excess funds not returned
Beh Lih YiPublished: Sep 13, 2007 8:30 AM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 10:21 AM
Aid agencies tasked to distribute fund for victims in the deadly 2004 tsunami have yet to return RM5.5 million in excess funds to the government's coffer.
Aid agencies tasked to distribute fund for victims in the deadly 2004 tsunami have yet to return RM5.5 million in excess funds to the government's coffer.
"To date, only Pahang's state treasury returned some RM1.2 million in excess," according to the Auditor-General's (AG) 2006 Report tabled in Parliament last Friday, under a chapter of follow-up to issues highlighted in its previous year report.
This part of the report details the government action, if any, which has been taken on issues raised by last year's report.
In the 2005 annual report, AG Ambrin Buang revealed that aid agencies did not return RM6.7 million in excess funds, which was handled by the Treasury's National Disaster Relief Fund.
The states that were indicated then include Pahang, Kedah, Kelantan, Penang, Sabah, Terengganu and the Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Ministry.
The AG also found poor construction standards in the repair or building of houses in the tsunami-affected states, which cost RM9.82 million, as contracts were not signed and workmanship was shoddy.
In the latest report, save for Seberang Perai in Penang where works were completed, houses in three others places were either incomplete or still waiting for the certificate of fitness.
RM80 million collected
Sixty-eight people lost their lives in Malaysia during the Dec 26, 2004 tsunami, most of them on the northern island of Penang.
Malaysians had donated over RM80 million to the National Disaster Relief Fund. Hundreds of people whose houses or fishing boats were destroyed or damaged were eligible for compensation.
However, the AG in his 2005 report discovered that RM9.8 million in aid for fishermen to repair and purchase nets, boats and motors had been mismanaged while the money also took too long to reach needy survivors.
The government promised that action would be taken on the report's findings.
On a another matter, there was also no mention on whether any action has been taken against those who abused a special fund channelled to several states to assist the poor, which was highlighted in last year's report.
In his report last year, the AG revealed that the fund, involving an allocation of RM1.63 billion, was used for unrelated projects such as to renovate the official residence of menteris besar and buying equipment for private television station ntv7.
"To date, only Pahang's state treasury returned some RM1.2 million in excess," according to the Auditor-General's (AG) 2006 Report tabled in Parliament last Friday, under a chapter of follow-up to issues highlighted in its previous year report.
This part of the report details the government action, if any, which has been taken on issues raised by last year's report.
In the 2005 annual report, AG Ambrin Buang revealed that aid agencies did not return RM6.7 million in excess funds, which was handled by the Treasury's National Disaster Relief Fund. The states that were indicated then include Pahang, Kedah, Kelantan, Penang, Sabah, Terengganu and the Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Ministry.
The AG also found poor construction standards in the repair or building of houses in the tsunami-affected states, which cost RM9.82 million, as contracts were not signed and workmanship was shoddy.
In the latest report, save for Seberang Perai in Penang where works were completed, houses in three others places were either incomplete or still waiting for the certificate of fitness.
RM80 million collected
Sixty-eight people lost their lives in Malaysia during the Dec 26, 2004 tsunami, most of them on the northern island of Penang.
Malaysians had donated over RM80 million to the National Disaster Relief Fund. Hundreds of people whose houses or fishing boats were destroyed or damaged were eligible for compensation.
However, the AG in his 2005 report discovered that RM9.8 million in aid for fishermen to repair and purchase nets, boats and motors had been mismanaged while the money also took too long to reach needy survivors. The government promised that action would be taken on the report's findings.
On a another matter, there was also no mention on whether any action has been taken against those who abused a special fund channelled to several states to assist the poor, which was highlighted in last year's report.
In his report last year, the AG revealed that the fund, involving an allocation of RM1.63 billion, was used for unrelated projects such as to renovate the official residence of menteris besar and buying equipment for private television station ntv7.
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