Yayasan Sabah cash strapped?

Yayasan Sabah under the direction of its chairman Musa Aman has put-off an approved staff pay hike, but is spending million on a 'people's programme'

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah DAP wants to know why Sabah’s cashcow, Yayasan Sabah (YS), is unable to give several of its employees the 13% pay hike the state government had approved for them effective on Jan 1, 2012.

Party state secretary Dr Edwin Bosi claimed to have received complaints from some disgruntled Innoprise Corporation Sdn Bhd (ICSB) staff on the delay.

“According to the complainant, ICSB at its last board meeting decided not to give the staff the 13% pay hike which is enjoyed by staff of Yayasan Sabah.

“Is it because of financial constraints?” he asked.

He noted that YS had nonetheless been spending millions on the Yayasan Sabah Bersama Rakyat (YSBR), a corporate social responsibility (CSR) aimed at lifting the standard of living for the people.

“We were informed that YS spends about RM400,000 to RM500,000 per zone. It is also learned that Yayasan Sabah could be spending about a million ringgit per zone during this pre-election fever and that there are at least six zones involved.

“We have also gathered that Yayasan Sabah’s YSBR is not only “uplifting” the people but also assisting the government in collecting information and intelligence on the political atmosphere.

“Besides, these programmes allow the Chief Minister who is also the chairman of Yayasan Sabah to do some political propaganda,” he said.

Bosi thus said it was ironical that while YS could afford to spend millions on money raised by its investment arm ICSB for their YSBR and a handout of 13% pay hike to YS staff, the employees of ICSB were deprived of the 13% pay hike for reasons only known to the foundation’s board of directors.

“As far as Sabah DAP is concerned this is unfair practice,” he said and wants the authorities to investigate the discrimination.

ICSB is the investment arm of Yayasan Sabah (YS) and it currently has nearly 800 employees.