I’ve yet to quit, says angry TI-M sec gen

Josie Fernandez is outraged at being shunned by the anti-graft watchdog and denied access to her e-mails.

PETALING JAYA: Although Loi Kheng Min has been announced as the new secretary-general of anti-graft watchdog, Transparency International-Malaysia (TI-M), Josie Fernandez claimed that she has not, in fact, resigned her post.

“During the executive committee (exco) meeting held on May 24, I stated I would like to resign as secretary-general and asked for two weeks to grace tie up loose ends and to settle outstanding matters.

“However, the exco interpreted this to mean that I was resigning the position with immediate effect and did not permit me to take part in the voting for the position of a new vice-president,” she said in a statement, adding that she has not tendered her written resignation.

Fernandez expressed her outrage as her secretary-general e-mail password has been changed.

“I’m outraged. I was able to use the account up till 10.30am today but when I came into the office and tried to assess the account, a message came out saying that the password has been changed.

“Is this how an organisation that is supposed to be transparent and accountable behave? I have not resigned yet and this is not an overnight handover,” she said.

Fernandez added that the current exco is responsible for her current predicament.

“Why are they doing this? I hold the current exco responsible because the staff definitely has nothing to do with this.

“How am I going to hand over my work to the next exco if I cannot access my e-mails,” she asked, adding that some emails are confidential in nature, involving staff and exco matters.

“The current exco has to answer. I am shocked and outraged because this is a form of intimidation. I’m not an enemy of the organisation.

“I’ve come to attend to outstanding matters and tie up loose ends, that is why I asked for two weeks before I officially hand in my resignation,” she said.

Difficult to work with exco

She further stated that other TI-M members were unhappy when told about her situation.

“They are not happy with what that has happened. And former president Paul Low will also be outraged if he learns that my e-mail password has been changed,” she said.

Fernandez added that she decided to resign as it would be difficult to work with exco members who are “fundamentally different”.

“I resigned because my position is untenable. It would be difficult to work with the current exco who differ fundamentally with my vision of what TI-M should stand for,” she said.

“However, I’m still a member of TI-M, and will continue to participate in future activities,” she said.

She also queried why six other exco members’ names were left out from the recent press statement listing the new office bearers of TI-M.

“Why were the names of six left out? This simply means that it is an incomplete list of the new executive committee.

The following office bearers were elected on May 24:

President: Akhbar Satar,

Deputy president: Mohamad Ali Hasan,

Secretary-general: Loi Kheng Min.

Treasurer: Mohamed Raslan Abdul Rahman.