SHAH ALAM, 6 Jan: The RM2.6 million compensation controversy involving eight assistants of the former Chief Minister, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, will be discussed by the Select Committee on Competency, Accountability and Transparency (Selcat) after receiving notice from Menteri Besar Incorporated (MBI).
Selcat committee member, Sulaiman Razak, said that the committee also decided to give a 14 day notice to the parties concerned before taking any action.
“The Selcat met yesterday and decided to wait for the notice from MBI, which currently gave a 14 day period for the return of the compensation.
“However, action will be taken if there is no response. A media release will be issued in the near future,” he said when contacted by Selangor Kini today.
Yesterday, the eight former MBI officers received a letter of claims for the return of the compensation money.
The Chief Minister, Mohamed Azmin Ali, previously asked them to return the compensation money within 14 days from the date the letter was issued claiming that the payment was done without following procedures and were in violation of financial regulations.
It involves excess payments to the former CEO of MBI, Faekah Husin, and the former political secretary Mustapha Mohd Talib.
The audit report found that the approval for the compensation payment of 30 percent from the final salary was multiplied by the number of months served and the approval to implement the voluntary separation scheme (VSS) did not follow the correct procedures.
Mohamed Azmin also assured that all eight individuals will still be paid compensation according to the proper amount.
Sulaiman, who is also the Permatang Assemblyman, also personally said that the move should be taken if the new MBI management found doubts involving the amount of the compensation.
“Any action taken by the former MBI management, I am certain, followed procedures in terms of financial regulations.
“However, the rules of the payment must be in accordance with a specific formula, which may have used a different formula. The new state government should review it because they are entitled to do so,” he said.
NS