Panel To Probe MIED Award Of AIMST Contracts

pic: makkal osai 030109

RM 18,000 income per month is apparently not enough for MIED CEO Chitra Kala. KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 4 (Bernama) -- A three-member panel has been formed to investigate alleged misappropriation in the award of contracts by MIC's education arm Maju Institute for Education Development (MIED) for the party's Asian Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology (AIMST), according to sources. They said the MIED board of directors, which met on Friday, had appointed former MIC treasurer-general Tan Sri K.S. Nijhar to head the panel. It is learnt that the others on the panel are MIC deputy president Datuk G. Palanivel and party disciplinary committee chairman Tan Sri G. Vadiveloo. makkal osai 030109 RM 18,000 income per month is apparently not enough for MIED CEO Chitra Kala. ********** makkal osai 030109 ********** The sources said the panel was formed on the instruction of MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu at the meeting. Contacted by Bernama, Nijhar confirmed the formation of the panel and said formal investigation had yet to begin. "I am just looking through all the documents and have not gone into the details of the contracts. The panel will meet once I have sorted out the documents. The panel was not formed to get anyone in particular but to ensure that everything is in order," he said. It is learnt that the panel had obtained all files on the alleged misappropriation from the MIED office. Two weeks ago, Samy Vellu removed Tan Sri M. Mahalingam, 73, from the post of MIC treasurer-general, saying that there was a need for a younger person to take over the position as part of the party's rebranding exercise. Mahalingam was replaced by Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk S.K. Devamany, 51. The sources said Samy Vellu was concerned over the awarding of three contracts claimed to have been given out at an inflated value. They said the panel would also investigate two contracts given to companies linked to a senior MIC leader. The cost of construction of AIMST, which opened its doors a year ago, had ballooned from an initial estimate of RM230 million to RM500 million, the sources said. Mahalingam, when contacted, said he was in the clear and was willing to answer queries from the panel. "For me, there is nothing to hide. I did as instructed by the (MIC) president. There was no misappropriation of funds or on the contracts on the part of MIED," he said. The MIED CEO is Chitrakala Vasu. -- BERNAMA