Federal agencies also got fake awards, says DAP leader

31 Jul 2017, 2:02 pm

 (Updated 31 Jul 2017, 2:09 pm)

A DAP leader has challenged Penang Umno leaders over awards two local councils received from the fake Europe Business Assembly (EBA) which, he claimed, were also awarded to several federal government agencies.

DAP’s Air Itam assemblyperson Wong Hon Wai pointed out that Forest Research Institute Malaysia, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), Universiti Teknikal Malaysia (UteM) and Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP) also obtained awards from the EBA, which were exposed as fraud by British newspaper The Times last week.

“The Penang Island City Council (MBPP) and Seberang Perai Municipal Council (MPSP) have already clarified the matter, and apologised to the public,” Wong, who is political secretary to Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, said in a statement today.

“However, the federal agencies involved in the same matter have yet to clarify their position to the media and the public about receiving the controversial EBA awards,” he added.

Wong said this in response to two Penang Umno leaders, state party chief Zainal Abidin Osman and Pulau Betong assemblyperson Muhammad Farid Saad, who criticised the state’s local councils for allegedly buying the fake awards.

In his statement yesterday, Zainal Abidin (photo) said the DAP-led government failed to implement the CAT (competency, accountability and transparency) principles by receiving the fake awards, adding that this meant the CAT slogan was a “fraud”.

On July 27, Penang BN Youth leaders presented a memorandum and a “fake award” to the two local councils as a symbolic gesture of condemning the two bodies for accepting the EBA awards.

In a video clip on Star TV on July 29, MBPP president Maimunah Mohd Sharif explained that the local councils accepted the award after paying the entrance fees, and apologised for it if the award was not genuine.

Wong slammed BN leaders for practising ‘double standards’, saying Zainal Abidin and Farid chose to chide the state government about it but remained silent about the awards accepted by federal agencies.

He urged Zainal Abidin, Farid and other BN leaders to be accountable and transparent on the issue of the EBA awards, asking them to face the media and public and explain the situation.

He recalled that Prime Minister Najib Razak has congratulated USIM for winning the award and this was reported in the local media on Dec 26, 2013.

“Why haven’t Zainal Abidin and Farid not condemned the PM for this?” Wong asked.

“The same standard by which you criticise (others and the Penang government) should be applied to yourself and to the federal agencies, while the ministers concerned must issue a clarification,” he added.

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