KUALA LUMPUR (June 24, 2009): Azmin Ali (PKR-Gombak) today alleged in the Dewan Rakyat that former Ferrari F1 team boss Datuk Jean Todt was appointed as Malaysian Tourism Ambassador at a cost to the Tourism Ministry of some RM593,400.
Asking Deputy Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Abdul Taib the rationale for the appointment, Azmin said he had proof to support all his claims, including on Todt and his fiancé Datuk Michelle Yeoh being offered land on an island in Terengganu.
However, Sulaiman did not reply to his question on grounds that it has deviated from the original question and advised Azmin to put his question in writing.
Azmin stressed that the question was not out of topic as the original question from Datuk Dr Marcus Mojigoh (BN-Putatan) was about films produced by the ministry to promote Malaysia as a tourist destination.
"I have proof whereby Yeoh and Todt were offered (part of) Pulau Besar. And his flight ticket alone had cost RM360,000. The cost of his appointment reached RM593,400.
"But, he (Sulaiman) didn't want to reply. Don’t you agree with me that this is a related matter, Tan Sri?" Azmin asked Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia who said it was not his duty to agree or not with him.
Later, when met in Parliament lobby, Azmin said the annual fee of RM593,400 included air tickets costing RM360,000, accommodation (RM60,000), tips, laundry, faxes and telephone costs (RM90,000) and other miscellaneous costs.
He also said Todt also received RM388,000 as travel allowance when he holidayed in Malaysia and this included RM240,000 for two air tickets and miscellaneous expenses (RM60,000).
He said Todt, in return, is required to attend a minimum of two major events in the country and two international missions to promote Malaysia.
"The ministry agreed to bear all expenses, including his holiday in Malaysia twice a year for two persons," he said, adding that he had proof to show communication between Todt and the ministry on the deal.
"Why do we need to spend so much money? I hope the ministry will clarify this before the end of the session and if I am wrong, make a statement to prove me wrong," he added.
Later, Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen rebutted the claim that Todt had been given a piece of land in Terengganu for becoming a tourist ambassador of Malaysia.
She told reporters in Parliament lobby: "As far as I am concerned, Todt would never have a piece of land in Terengganu. Todt was made Malaysia’s ambassador starting in May for two years and with his connectivity in Europe and the world, it will help to promote the country's tourism as well as to promote the country as a second home."
On Azmin's claim that Todt was paid about RM1 million for his task as ambassador, Ng said: "The RM1 million is not cash for him. It is a two-year budget set aside for him when we need him to travel.
"When we want to do promotion in Europe, RM1 million is nothing. So yes, he (Todt) is allocated with a budget but not into his pocket, it is for the ministry and it will be spent accordingly."
Asked whether it was true that Todt had spent RM1 million in a year as claimed by Azmin, Ng said the Gombak MP had been misinformed as the ministry has not even started spending the money.
"He (Todt) was only appointed in early May. So I do not know where Azmin got his information. We are just preparing his budget and I hope these people get the figures correct," she said.
On whether Todt is acting as ambassador on a voluntarily basis, Ng said: "The ministry does not pay him salary but for the air tickets and expenses incurred when he is required to go and meet people.
"Azmin, as a responsible MP, should tell me where he got his information. I will bring it up in Parliament and he'd better be sure that his information is reliable. I appreciate that if the MPs want to raise something in Parliament but do not mislead the House," she added.
http://sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=35016
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
PAS bertemu Duta Iran, dapatkan penjelasan
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| KUALA LUMPUR, 24 Jun (Hrkh) - Ketika pelbagai media memberi gambaran buruk dan negatif terhadap Iran, PAS mengambil langkah hemah dengan mengadakan pertemuan bersama Duta Iran Mahdi Khandagh Abadi hari ini untuk mendapatkan penjelasan dan maklumat tepat berhubung insiden dan situasi yang berlaku di negara terbabit. PAS yang diwakili AJK PAS Pusat, Dr Syed Azman Syed Ahmad Nawawi dan Dato' Kamarudin Jaffar, Ahli Parlimen Shah Alam Khalid Samad dan AJK Muslimat PAS Mastura Hj Mohamad telah mendapat taklimat mutakhir daripada Mahdi dan Setiausaha Ketiga Kedutaan Khalil Maleki Raee selama hampir satu jam di bangunan Kedutaan itu, dekat sini petang tadi. Mahdi dalam taklimatnya itu, kesal dengan manipulasi media antarabangsa seperti BBC, CNN termasuk media negara ini yang dilihat cuba memburuk-burukkan negara Iran dan imej kepimpinan Presidennya Mahmoud Ahmadinejad yang sebaliknya tidak sebagaimana yang digambarkan. Katanya isu rusuhan, provokasi, kematian penunjuk perasaan dan pembakaran masjid adalah sesuatu yang belum dapat dibuktikan berpunca daripada pihak berkuasa Iran malah kerajaannya sentiasa terbuka mengalu-alukan pihak-pihak yang tidak berpuas hati membuat aduan dan membantah mengikut kaedah undang-undang sedia ada. Dalam pada itu, PAS mengucapkan tahniah kepada kepimpinan Ahmadinejad yang memenangani pilihan raya tempoh hari dan dengan tegas akan terus memberi sokongan kepada kerajaan Iran, dalam menghadapi krisis dan propaganda jahat barat khususnya Britain dan kumpulan penentang yang ditaja oleh barat. "Dia juga memperjelaskan proses sistem pilihan raya mereka dan bagi kita ianya telus. Pilihan raya untuk warga Iran di Malaysia berjalan dengan baik dan apabila didesak untuk tambahan masa, proses dibenarkan sehingga lewat malam," kata Syed Azman selepas mengadakan pertemuan itu. Sementara itu, Kamaruddin menambah bahawa isu keganasan yang berlaku di Iran tidak seperti yang digembar-gemburkan oleh media malah provokasi dan tembakan rambang yang berlaku tidak dapat dibuktikan pihak mana yang bertanggungjawab dalam insiden itu "Duta Iran menjelaskan tadi bahawa bukan budaya dan masyarakat Iran membakar masjid. Jadi dibimbangi datang daripada anasir-anasir luar. "Kalau tidak yakin dengan sistem sudah pasti jumlah yang keluar mengundi merosot. Jika ada komplen lakukan secara legal, ada cara undang-undang untuk membantah," kata Kamaruddin yang juga Ahli Parlimen Tumpat. Sementara itu, Khalid menjelaskan dalam situasi itu, kumpulan dan golongan 'Munafiqun' akan mengambil kesempatan memburuk-buruikkan lagi keadaan dan ianya sekaligus memperlihatkan seolah-olah pihak kerajaan yang mencetuskan huru-hara. Di samping itu Mastura pula menambah Muslimat PAS berkeyakinan kepimpinan Ahmadinejad sentiasa memberi perlindungan dan membela nasib seterusnya mengangkat martabat wanita dalam apa jua bidang khususnya dalam pentadbirannya seperti terkini melantik seorang wanita sebagai Dutanya di Jepun. Berhubung dengan perselisihan pendapat dalam institusi ulama yang menjadi tunjang dan dasar pentadibiran negara itu, Syed Azman menjelaskan ianya bukanlah satu perpecahan yang berlaku malah hubungan rakyat, kerajaan dan ulama sentiasa teguh. "Keteguhan institusi ulama tetap utuh. Biasalah, ada khilaf dan berbeza pandapat, namun hubungan mereka teguh dan sentiasa mempertahankan institusi ulama dan kerajaaan sedia ada," kata Syed Azman. Pertemuan dalam suasana harmoni itu berakhir kira-kira jam 3.00 petang tadi dengan pihak kedutaan mengalu-alukan media Harakah untuk mengadakan wawancara eksklusif dengan Duta Iran dalam masa terdekat bagi menjelaskan secara tepat kepada umum isu yang berlaku. - azm _ harakahdaily.net |
H1N1: UiTM bans travel abroad
SHAH ALAM, June 24 — Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) has imposed a temporary prohibition on travel abroad by its staff and students in view of the influenza A(H1N1) pandemic.
Vice-Chancellor Prof Tan Sri Dr Ibrahim Abu Shah said today approval for travel abroad would only be given on a case-by-case basis.
Already, there have been complaints over the ruling as many academic staff had made preparations to go abroad, he told a news conference after the opening of the two-day International Conference on Advances in Mechanical Engineering (ICAME) 2009 organised by the university's Faculty of Mechanical Engineering.
Ibrahim said he had to be firm to prevent closure of the university should any of the more than 100,000 students be infected by the disease.
He also said that UiTM had set up an H1N1 action committee in accordance with a directive of the Ministry of Higher Education to all institutions of higher learning.
ICAME 2009 has drawn participation from academic staff of universities and representatives of the industrial sector in 18 countries, including Germany, Japan, the United States, India, Iran, Pakistan, South Korea, Britain, Oman, France and Finland.
Meanwhile, 12 new H1N1 confirmed cases have been reported over the past 24 hours, said director-general of Health Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican today.
He said of the total, 10 were “imported” cases while two were locally transmitted cases.
Three of the cases identified involved two from Yemen and one from Indonesia while the rest were Malaysians who had visited Singapore, Britain, Thailand, the Philippines, Australia and the United States, he said.
"This has increased the number of confirmed cases in the country to 80, comprising 69 ‘imported’ cases and 11 locally transmitted cases.
"The number of schools that had been closed due to the outbreak remains four while three schools had been directed to close one of their classrooms respectively," he told reporters after chairing a National Technical committee meeting on Influenza A (H1N1).
He added that so far 1,619 people had been tested for the virus. — Bernama
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com
Vice-Chancellor Prof Tan Sri Dr Ibrahim Abu Shah said today approval for travel abroad would only be given on a case-by-case basis.
Already, there have been complaints over the ruling as many academic staff had made preparations to go abroad, he told a news conference after the opening of the two-day International Conference on Advances in Mechanical Engineering (ICAME) 2009 organised by the university's Faculty of Mechanical Engineering.
Ibrahim said he had to be firm to prevent closure of the university should any of the more than 100,000 students be infected by the disease.
He also said that UiTM had set up an H1N1 action committee in accordance with a directive of the Ministry of Higher Education to all institutions of higher learning.
ICAME 2009 has drawn participation from academic staff of universities and representatives of the industrial sector in 18 countries, including Germany, Japan, the United States, India, Iran, Pakistan, South Korea, Britain, Oman, France and Finland.
Meanwhile, 12 new H1N1 confirmed cases have been reported over the past 24 hours, said director-general of Health Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican today.
He said of the total, 10 were “imported” cases while two were locally transmitted cases.
Three of the cases identified involved two from Yemen and one from Indonesia while the rest were Malaysians who had visited Singapore, Britain, Thailand, the Philippines, Australia and the United States, he said.
"This has increased the number of confirmed cases in the country to 80, comprising 69 ‘imported’ cases and 11 locally transmitted cases.
"The number of schools that had been closed due to the outbreak remains four while three schools had been directed to close one of their classrooms respectively," he told reporters after chairing a National Technical committee meeting on Influenza A (H1N1).
He added that so far 1,619 people had been tested for the virus. — Bernama
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com
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