New Sabah Times
Wednesday, April 11, 2001
The Sabah government will not interfere in the investigations of the Anti-Corruption Agency into alleged malpractices in a contract to change water meters in the State.
Chief Minister Datuk Chong Kah Kiat said the government would make decide on further action based on the findings of the agency.
"We are letting ACA handle this case and we advise all parties to cooperate with the agency," he said after a briefing by the Kota Kinabalu City Hall.
Last week, State ACA director Chuah Cheng Man said the agency had taken statements from several individuals from a public agency and a State government department.
The State Water Department had awarded a contract worth RM250 million to change 100,000 water metres in the State to a contractor last year.
It had been alleged that the contractor had given the project to another company for only RM17 million.
(By Raynore Mering)
Wednesday, April 11, 2001
Tuesday, April 10, 2001
Musa and team sweep Libaran
The Star
Tuesday, April 10, 2001
SANDAKAN: Sabah Finance Minister Datuk Musa Aman and his running mates made a sweep of the Libaran Umno division here, wiping out state assembly Speaker Datuk Hassan Alban Sandukong and his team.
Musa trounced Hassan by over 330 votes to retain the chairman's post which he has held since Umno spread its wings to Sabah in 1991.
"I thank Allah for giving me this victory. The results show that the members in Libaran are not divided as all my men have won. It shows that only a small group of people made it look like we were divided.
"The people of Libaran are with me as they have always been and they have no doubt that I have their interest at heart,'' said Musa, a native of the west coast Beaufort town, who was labelled an outsider during the intense campaign in this semi-urban east coast Sabah division.
Musa polled 576 of the 838 ballots cast while Hassan managed to get 240 votes in the contest which turned into a brawl at last week's Wanita meeting.
The division elections were also nearly stopped after rival groups tried to force a postponement and insisted that all ballot papers were signed by the candidates.
Musa said his priority was to bring back unity in the division and work with all the members.
In the contest, Musa's allies Libaran MP Juslie Ajirol easily beat a last-minute challenge by former parliamentarian Akbarkhan Abdul Rahman to keep the deputy chairman's post by a 300-vote margin.
The division's information chief Samsuddin Yahya, who was in the Musa camp toppled incumbent vice-chairman Datuk Nahalan Damsal, a state assistant minister aligned to Hassan.
The 20 division committee posts and seven delegates were also won by the Musa camp.
Hassan and his team left the meeting hall of the Sandakan Community Centre 15 minutes before the official result were announced at 1am.
"I will accept the verdict,'' said Hassan as he left the centre, adding that he would need three days before making a statement.
As indications of the results outcome started to emerge, police personnel took up positions outside the community centre where supporters waited.
However, supporters from both camps left peacefully by 2am ending the year-long battle for Libaran Umno which was rife with allegations and counter allegations ranging from money politics, cheating and questionable nominations at branch meetings.
At least 30 police reports were lodged and dozens of complaints made to the special Sabah Umno division election monitoring committee since the branch elections started in March.
After a nearly two-hour standoff between rival supporters at Sunday's meeting, it proceeded peacefully with no further incident with state Umno representatives Datuk Rizalman Abdullah and Ronald Kiandee ensuring the voting process and count was done in open view.
Tuesday, April 10, 2001
SANDAKAN: Sabah Finance Minister Datuk Musa Aman and his running mates made a sweep of the Libaran Umno division here, wiping out state assembly Speaker Datuk Hassan Alban Sandukong and his team.
Musa trounced Hassan by over 330 votes to retain the chairman's post which he has held since Umno spread its wings to Sabah in 1991.
"I thank Allah for giving me this victory. The results show that the members in Libaran are not divided as all my men have won. It shows that only a small group of people made it look like we were divided.
"The people of Libaran are with me as they have always been and they have no doubt that I have their interest at heart,'' said Musa, a native of the west coast Beaufort town, who was labelled an outsider during the intense campaign in this semi-urban east coast Sabah division.
Musa polled 576 of the 838 ballots cast while Hassan managed to get 240 votes in the contest which turned into a brawl at last week's Wanita meeting.
The division elections were also nearly stopped after rival groups tried to force a postponement and insisted that all ballot papers were signed by the candidates.
Musa said his priority was to bring back unity in the division and work with all the members.
In the contest, Musa's allies Libaran MP Juslie Ajirol easily beat a last-minute challenge by former parliamentarian Akbarkhan Abdul Rahman to keep the deputy chairman's post by a 300-vote margin.
The division's information chief Samsuddin Yahya, who was in the Musa camp toppled incumbent vice-chairman Datuk Nahalan Damsal, a state assistant minister aligned to Hassan.
The 20 division committee posts and seven delegates were also won by the Musa camp.
Hassan and his team left the meeting hall of the Sandakan Community Centre 15 minutes before the official result were announced at 1am.
"I will accept the verdict,'' said Hassan as he left the centre, adding that he would need three days before making a statement.
As indications of the results outcome started to emerge, police personnel took up positions outside the community centre where supporters waited.
However, supporters from both camps left peacefully by 2am ending the year-long battle for Libaran Umno which was rife with allegations and counter allegations ranging from money politics, cheating and questionable nominations at branch meetings.
At least 30 police reports were lodged and dozens of complaints made to the special Sabah Umno division election monitoring committee since the branch elections started in March.
After a nearly two-hour standoff between rival supporters at Sunday's meeting, it proceeded peacefully with no further incident with state Umno representatives Datuk Rizalman Abdullah and Ronald Kiandee ensuring the voting process and count was done in open view.
Sunday, April 08, 2001
Water meter investigation still in preliminary stage: Sabah ACA director
New Sabah Times
Sunday, April 08, 2001
KOTA KINABALU: The Anti-Corruption Agency has called up several people for questioning in connection with alleged irregularities in the award of a contract worth RM49 million to replace 100,000 faulty water meters in Sabah.
State ACA director Chuah Chang Man said those questioned were from Government departments and private firms.
"We took down their statements and they gave their full co-operation," he told reporters after officiating the State ACA family day at Tanjung Aru beach, here, today.
He said investigation was still at the preliminary stage.
The controversy surrounding the award of the contract was widely reported by the media early this year prompting the then Chief Minister Datuk Osu Sukam to come up with an explanation.
It was reported that RM250 was approved for replacing each of the 100,000 faulty meters when the installation cost for a meter was said to be only RM17.
Osu had defended the State Government's decision, saying that the RM250 installation cost for a new meter was justified.
He had also said that besides labour and service charge, the installation cost also covers other items such as galvanised iron pipe, pipe elbow and nipples, lockable valves, drain plugs and sluice valves.
Osu also said that although the tender for the project was awarded on a negotiated basis and that it was made according to standard procedures.
Sunday, April 08, 2001
KOTA KINABALU: The Anti-Corruption Agency has called up several people for questioning in connection with alleged irregularities in the award of a contract worth RM49 million to replace 100,000 faulty water meters in Sabah.
State ACA director Chuah Chang Man said those questioned were from Government departments and private firms.
"We took down their statements and they gave their full co-operation," he told reporters after officiating the State ACA family day at Tanjung Aru beach, here, today.
He said investigation was still at the preliminary stage.
The controversy surrounding the award of the contract was widely reported by the media early this year prompting the then Chief Minister Datuk Osu Sukam to come up with an explanation.
It was reported that RM250 was approved for replacing each of the 100,000 faulty meters when the installation cost for a meter was said to be only RM17.
Osu had defended the State Government's decision, saying that the RM250 installation cost for a new meter was justified.
He had also said that besides labour and service charge, the installation cost also covers other items such as galvanised iron pipe, pipe elbow and nipples, lockable valves, drain plugs and sluice valves.
Osu also said that although the tender for the project was awarded on a negotiated basis and that it was made according to standard procedures.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)