KEPALA SURAT KEMENTERIAN DIGUNAKAN UNTUK TEMPAH HOTEL

Menggunakan kepala surat Kementerian Pendidikan Tinggi bagi memudahkan tempahan sebanyak 70 bilik hotel membuka ruang spekulasi kementerian akan bayar bil penginapan perwakilan Perhimpunan Agung UMNO.
Setiap bilik berharga RM165 semalam.

Mohamed Khalid, bertanding jawatan Naib presiden memberi alasan bahawa ia memudahkan untuk menempah bilik hotel jika kepala surat kementerian digunakan. Namun, surat yang difaksimili menyebut bayaran akan dibayar selepas pelawat check-out dari hotel!!!!

Tian Chua alleges misappropriation of ministry funds for hotel rooms

The Higher Education Ministry's letterhead was used to book some 70 hotel rooms for Umno Pasir Division members attending the party's general assembly here next week, inviting allegations of impropriety and misuse of government facilities.

PKR information chief and MP for Batu Tian Chua alleged in a complaint to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) today that the rooms were for delegates, but Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khalid Nordin said in an immediate response that they were for observers and division members, and not delegates.

Mohamed Khalid, who is contesting a vice-president post, admitted the ministry's letterhead was used because "it is very difficult to book hotel during the Umno assembly period".

He said he is not using the ministry’s money to pay for the rooms which costs RM165 per day.

Tian Chua earlier told reporters in Parliament lobby that there could be misappropriation of public fund by the Higher Education Ministry’s political secretary's office which sent out the letter.

He said he had received information that Zainal Abidin Othman, a special officer to the minister’s political secretary, allegedly booked a total of 70 rooms and produced a copy of letter of request with the ministry’s letterhead and a confirmation letter from the hotel as proof.

He said he had also submitted the report and evidence to the MACC.

"We have the fax with the ministry’s letterhead to the hotel as well as the confirmation letter from the hotel that each room cost RM165 per night.

"I was also told that a government cheque had been (allegedly) issued as the deposit for the hotel. This is a clear misuse of public money for party congress and election," he said.

Azan Ismail (PKR-Indera Mahkota), who was at the press conference, said it is wrong to use the letterhead of the ministry for the letter of request to the hotel as it will be taken as a guarantee to the hotel that the ministry will foot the bill.

He said this is because the letter stated that "we are hopeful that the hotel would allow our guests to check-in at the hotel at any time and the bill would be forwarded to us after the guests leave (we would prefer to pay weekly)".

He said it is very easy for the MACC to check if a government cheque was given to the hotel.

Mohamed Khalid said Zainal was not acting under his instruction.

Giam Say Khoon/sun2surf