SHAH ALAM, 7 Jan: The Chief Minister, Mohamed Azmin Ali, asserted that the severance payment involving eight former aides of Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim needs to be returned so that payment can be made in accordance with existing guidelines.

Mohamed Azmin described the directive for the return of the RM2.6 million severance payment by Menteri Besar Incorporated (MBI) as a diplomatic move.

He said that the state government wants to resolve the issue amicably and promised to pay a portion to them, according to the prescribed value.

“This way, I think, is quite diplomatic. We want to resolve this well in asking them to give back the money.

“If they have rights, we’ll pay them, but there must be guidelines,” he said at the State Government Secretary’s Building today.

He also denied that the audit report conducted by the State Treasury was not flawed and had revealed abuse of power after Khalid’s ex-political secretary Faekah Husin claimed yesterday that the audit was unprofessional.

“Of course there is no problem with the audit department. The audit department is an independent department.

“The audit department had entered and carried out the investigation, it was in fact proven from the documents presented that there indeed misappropriation and abuse of power, which cannot be permitted. We will not tolerate this. We want them to return it.

“It is okay, they are given two weeks to respond to MBI. If this fails, we will announce the next action that will be taken against them,” he said.

NS