Scandal rocks Kelantan local council, PAS tries to cover up

By Adib Zalkapli - The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 27 – Days after resolving the controversy in the Kelantan Mentri Besar Corporation (PMBK), a local council in PAS-ruled Kelantan has been accused of mistreatment of workers and abuse of funds by the councillors.

According to a report yesterday in the online version of PAS newspaper Harakahdaily, the Kelantan Municipal Council (MPKB) has failed to pay overtime wages to its labourers and threatened some of them with dismissal for raising the matter.

The report, which also accused council members of abuse of public funds for “study tours”, was removed just hours after it was published.

The Malaysian Insider understands the decision to remove the report was made to prevent further damage to the Kelantan government's image.

But the state executive council in charge of local government, Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan, who was recently appointed PAS deputy secretary-general, claimed no knowledge of the retraction but admitted that the MPKB has been affected by the economic slowdown and decided to replace overtime pay with equal time off.

“The workers were never forced to work overtime, and those who were willing to work extra hours were informed that they will be compensated with time off,” Takiyuddin told The Malaysian Insider.

On the overseas study tours, Takiyuddin said all local councils in the state have stopped the practice and the councillors are only allowed to visit “successful local councils in the country”.

He said the last trip to Australia some two years ago was made in collaboration with a local university and an Australian university to provide training for the councillors.

“All of them had to attend lectures, and the outcome of the trip was thoroughly assessed upon their return,” said Takiyuddin.

He also dismissed the suggestion that the issue surfaced because of the infighting within the members of the Kelantan government.

“There is no conflict, we are just doing our work,” he said.

The state government has been bogged down by accusations of cronyism and corruption since early this month over the controversial appointment of the mentri besar's son-in-law Ariffahmi Abdul Rahmad as the CEO of PMBK.

Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, who became the mentri besar in 1990, also came under heavy criticism for receiving sponsorship from a businessman to perform the pilgrimage in Mecca.

Following pressure from party leaders and the public, Nik Aziz has cancelled the religious trip and ordered his son-in-law to leave the state investment arm.

The various controversies in the state have led to discussion of succession plan by some members of the administration.