‘Fed govt persecuting us by not extending NS contract’

Yayasan Selangor also denied allegations that the foundation used taxpayers’ money to renovate the camp.

PETALING JAYA: Yayasan Selangor said today that it did not use taxpayers’ money to renovate a National Service camp.

Yayasan Selangor’s general manager Ilham Marzuki said that the foundation used money from its own coffers to renovate the Ampang Pecah National Service (NS) camp.

He said this renovation was done to meet National Training Service Department (NTSD) Schedule of Compliance issued in 2008.

“We generate our own source of revenue through office rentals, oil palm plantations and other joint venture businesses. We earn our keep through hard work,” he said in a statement.

“And we strived to meet NTSD’s requirements and completed renovation works at the camp by December last year. Naturally, the contract should have been extended,” said Ilham.

Yesterday, the Selangor state run foundation came under fire from Selangor MCA liaison secretary Wong Koon Mun for carrying out renovation works worth RM4.04 million on the Ampang Pecah NS camp only to find out later that its contract was not renewed by NSTD.

Wong, who is also Kuala Kubu Baru assemblyman, accused Yayasan Selangor of mismanaging taxpayers’ money and urged the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to investigate the matter.

Calling Wong’s outcry as superficial, Ilham claimed that Yayasan Selangor was being “persecuted” by the federal government by not giving the foundation a contract extension.

“However, we have made an appeal to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. Our appeal is also supported by Hulu Selangor MP P Kamalanathan.

“But if the federal government ignores our appeal, Yayasan Selangor will do all it can to meet the income shortfall,” said Ilham.

When contacted, Ilham said he has yet to receive any feedback from his appeal to date.

“No point sulking about it. If they don’t want to renew our contract, we will just move on to do other things,” said Ilham.