MB asks sultan to

remove Mohd RadzhiALOR SETAR:Kedah Mentri Be-sar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Ra-zak has sent a letter to the Sultanof Kedah Tuanku Abdul HalimMu’adzam Shah requesting that Lunas state assemblyman MohdRadzhi Salleh be removed fromhis position as a state executivecouncillor.

Azizan said a request by PartiKeadilan Rakyat (PKR) that MohdRadzhi’s services be terminatedand he be replaced with anotherperson was also attached to theletter.

“His Highness accepted myletter. We will wait for his deci-sion. As long as he does not makea decision, Mohd Radzhi is stillan exco,” Azizan told reportersafter handing over the letter at Wisma Zakat here yesterday.

On Sunday, Mohd Radzhiannounced he was quitting PKRbecause he had lost confidence

in the party, and declared himself as an independent. But the as-semblyman said he would con-tinue to hold the state’s Tourism,Community Development andHuman Resources Committeeportfolio because the appoint-ment was made by the sultan.

According to Azizan, SultanAbdul Halim understood thematter after he told him that Mohd Radzhi was no longer aPKR member and was not quali-fied to be an executive councilloron the PKR quota.

“My meeting with His High-ness was pleasant. I hope HisHighness will consider the re-quest but I do not know when hewill make a decision,” he said.

Azizan said Mohd Radzhi’sreplacement as executive coun-cillor will only be discussed byPKR after the sultan had made adecision.

Meanwhile, in Bukit Mertajam,PAS vice-president Datuk MahfuzOmar described Mohd Radzhi’smove to quit PKR as a clean upprocess in the opposition pact.

Saying that Mohd Radzhi wasa burden to Pakatan, Mahfuz saidthe party was not surprised withthe move.

“We don’t want to be bur-dened by him,” he told a newsconference at the PAS operationscentre for the Permatang Pasirstate by-election, here.

With Mohd Radzhi’s deci-sion to become an independent,Kedah PKR is now left with onlyfour assemblymen, PAS (16),Barisan Nasional (14) and onefor DAP.

Mahfuz also said Mohd Radzhishould resign as assemblymanas it was clear that the votersin Lunas wanted a PKR leader.– Bernama

Tee Keat’s lawyers at the High Court to file a criminal defamation suit against Tiong in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

PERLIS Break Fast  7.3Opm

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PUASA TIMES news without borders2 theSun | TUESDAY AUGUST 25 2009

MACC questions MCA treasurer-generalPUTRAJAYA: The MalaysianAnti-Corruption Commission(MACC) questioned MCA treas-urer-general Tan Sri Tee HochSeng yesterday on the allegationmade by Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhdchief executive officer DatukSeri Tiong King Sing that he had“donated” RM10 million to partypresident Datuk Seri Ong TeeKeat.

Speaking to reporters after atwo-hour interview at the MACCheadquarters here, Tee said hetogether with MCA chief admin-istrator Lim Chin Hai were calledin to facilitate investigations intothe allegation.

“They (MACC) had asked

about my background and myfamily background, as well ason the party constitution as towhether we can accept donationsor not and who has the power tosign cheques.

“We were also asked if theparty had received RM10 million(from Tiong) and we told them wehad never received the money,”he said, adding he had submittedthe party accounts for 2007 and2008 to the commission.

Asked if the MACC had alsoobtained the donors list, whichrecorded the details of peoplewho donated money to the party,Tee admitted that the list andcopies of donation receipts had

been given to the commission.“The list only contains the

details of donors who donatedto the party during the 50thNational Day celebration in 2007and general election in 2008. Wedo not have any donation thisyear,” he said.

Tee added that the commis-sion will contact Lim if it needsmore information. He also saidhe was not told if Ong would besummoned for questioning.

He also stressed that thereis nothing wrong for the partyto accept donations as the partyconstitution stipulates that dona-tions can be part of the party in-come. Tiong, who is also Barisan

Nasional Backbenchers’ Clubchairman, made the allegation onAug 12 after KDSB, the turnkeydeveloper for the controversialRM4.9 billion Port Klang FreeZone (PKFZ) project, was al-leged to have been involved inirregularities of between RM500million and RM1 billion in areport by the PKFZ special taskforce.

The Barisan Nasional Back-benchers’ Club chairman wasquestioned by the MACC on thedonations controversy and thePKFZ scandal the next day.

On Friday, Tiong had alsourged MACC to investigate Ongand his wife’s bank accounts.

PETALING JAYA: MCA deputypresident Datuk Seri Dr ChuaSoi Lek’s grassroots supportersin Perak are planning to appealto the party disciplinary boardto impose a temporary sus-pension on party chief DatukSeri Ong Tee Keat until he hascleared the legal wrangle overan allegation that he receiveda RM10 million donation.

The supporters told Nan- yang Siang Pau that they alsohope that the board wouldconsider a suitable candidateto sit in for Ong as the transportminister during the “awkwardperiod” as all decisions madeby him in his official capacityas party president and ministerwill affect public interest andthe government’s image.

One of the supporterssaid the majority of the MCAgrassroots in the state are nothappy with the party chief fornot coming clean about whatreally transpired in the matter,including giving straightforwardanswers on Barisan NasionalBackbenchers Club chairmanDatuk Seri Tiong King Sing’s al-legation that he gave Ong themoney last year.

In view of this, the reportsaid Perak MCA could be thefirst state to fire a salvo at Ong.A grassroots leader said apartfrom making a public appeal,the supporters will write to theboard to request that Ong besuspended until he is proveninnocent over the allegation.

“Although one is innocentuntil proven guilty under thelaw, the president has thepower to make decisionsinvolving money and publicinterest, and we do not wishthat doubts continue to be caston the number one chair inthe party during this awkwardperiod.”

Chua supporters alsodismissed an SMS beingcirculated in Perak on Sundaywhich purportedly containeda message from deputysecretary-general and statedeputy chairman Datuk LokeYuen Yow to Ong that thedeputy president is launchingan extraordinary general meet-ing to topple him.

The supporters believe itcould have been circulated tocast aspersions on Chua.

Meanwhile, Loke has deniedhaving sent the SMS and at-tributed it to rumour-mongersout to create confusion and todent party morale.

Call tosuspendOng as partypresident

 JOHOR BARU: The Association ofForeign Workers’ Suppliers andManagement Firms (Tekam) hasproposed that the governmentmake it compulsory for everyunemployed in the country to reg-ister themselves with the LabourDepartment.

Its president, Datuk Baharum

Ghani, said the proposal hadbeen submitted to Deputy PrimeMinister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassinwho chairs the Cabinet Commit-tee on Foreign Workers and IllegalImmigrants.

“Through this compulsoryregistration, companies involvedin the manufacturing, service,

farming and agriculture sectorsonly need to contact the LabourDepartment to get local workers,”he told Bernama yesterday.

“If they (unemployed locals)want a job, they need to registerthemselves at the Labour Depart-ment nationwide,” said Baharum.– Bernama

‘Make it compulsory to register unemployed workers’