RAUB: The board of directors of Pengurusan Air Pahang Berhad (Paip) is expected to hold a special meeting in the near future following the recent exposure of an abuse of power and corruption involving a project worth RM23 million.
Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail said he had ordered the meeting to be held immediately to discuss the matter.
Asked whether there would be a massive reshuffle in the company, Wan Rosdy said: “We wait for the special meeting of the board of directors to be held later.”
“This matter is being investigated… so let the authority conduct the investigation,” he told Bernama when met after the presentation of state government aid and UPSR Excellence Prizes 2018 for Raub parliament here yesterday.
The ceremony was also attended by state secretary Datuk Seri Dr Sallehuddin Ishak, Rural Development and Orang Asli Affairs Committee chairman Datuk Aziz Kiram who is also the Batu Talam assemblyman and Yayasan Pahang general manager Datuk Mahmud Mohd Nawawi.
On Jan 11, seven people, including four senior officials of Paip were remanded at the Kuantan Magistrate Court to assist in investigations into alleged abuse of power and corruption over a project worth RM23 million.
Three of those detained were believed to be the contractors who reportedly monopolised and secured offers by the corporation through direct dealings.
On Monday, five other suspects including three Paip officers were also remanded to assist in investigating the same case under Section 17 (a) of the MACC Act 2009 for the offence of soliciting and receiving bribes.
The suspects aged between 30 and 60 years old were detained in the “Ops Cuci” conducted by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
The Auditor-General’s Report 2017 stated that Pengurusan Air Pahang Berhad (Paip) suffered losses for three consecutive years with RM114.55 million till the end of the financial year on March 31, 2015, RM108.22 million (March 31, 2016) and RM103 million (March 31, 2017).
Meanwhile, Wan Rosdy said as the head of the state government, he accepted the reprimand and trust from the Sultan of Pahang, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al Mustafa Billah Shah on Tuesday with an open heart when he called on the state leadership at all levels to serve the people with trust and responsibility.
“We will try to conduct the responsibility and trust given in the best manner possible and (we) want all leaders regardless from which level to also take note of the said decree,” he said. – Bernama
