Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Felda pays hefty RM1.6mil for multivitamins



Yayasan Felda awarded a RM1.59 million project to a pharmaceutical company to supply multivitamins through direct negotiations last August, a move that has not gone down well with Persatuan Anak Peneroka Felda Kebangsaan (Anak).

NONE“The contract with CCM Pharmaceuticals Sdn Bhd is to supply multivitamins to 27,900 haj pilgrims who were leaving in September (last year),” said Mazlan Aliman (left), who chairs the PAS-linked NGO.

Awarding multi-million ringgit contracts without a tender process, said Mazlan, goes against the spirit of good governance.
He hinted that the contract could have been outsourced to a “crony company”, and demanded that Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) chairperson Isa Samad explains the reason for selecting CCM.

According to the documents provided to the media today, CCM Pharmaceuticals, a government-linked company, is described as the foremost halal-certified producer in the pharmaceutical industry.

CCM had supplied Proviton and Flavettes Sugar Free 500g at RM57 per person, with the total bill coming up to RM1,590,300.

“We want Isa to explain why the contract was awarded through direct negotiations and why this company was chosen,” Mazlan told reporters at the PAS headquarters in Kuala Lumpur today.

“I suspect that the multivitamins that were supplied actually cost much less.”
azlan(rMazlan also claimed to have received ‘inside information’ that Felda had forked out RM352,687.50 during Isa’s (right) visit to plantations in Pahang, Selangor and Johor.

“The first programme was held in the Tenang state constituency in Johor last year, for which Felda spent RM118,750. This included distribution of 500 copies of ‘Najib: Rakyat Didahulukan, Pencapaian Diutamakan: Perdana Menteri Malaysia Ke-6' of the coffee-table book.

“In February this year, 385 copies of the book were given out at Felda Lawin Selatan in Puchong and 600 copies at Jengka 22 in Kerdau. These programmes cost RM91,437.50 and RM142,500, respectively,” he said.

Mazlan questioned the purpose of distributing the book - which costs about RM250 - to the settlers, although a five percent discount was given on the purchase.

“We want Isa to reveal whose money is being utilised for these programmes and where they got the money from,” he said.

Anak to lodge report on circular

On a related development, Mazlan said Anak will lodge a report at the Temerloh district police headquarters in Pahang, on alleged “rampant bribery” to push through the listing of Felda Global Ventures Holding (FGVH) in Bursa Malaysia.

He said a circular distributed to some 100,000 settlers since mid-February from the Felda management has requested the settlers’ personal information for the purpose of shares distribution.

“In the circular letter signed by the settlement managers, it is stated that copies of the settlers’ MyKad, and house and land ownership titles, are needed to prepare for the distribution of windfall revenue,” said Mazlan, citing the contents of the circular.

“We suspect they are telling the settlers that they will make money from the listing. We’ve heard that settlers are now being offered between RM10,000 and RM20,000 for their support.”

azlanMazlan, however, said he fears that the circular, purportedly to facilitate the listing, could be used against the settlers and converted into collateral instead. 

“This could be the windfall revenue they are talking about - they use the land as collateral and offer the settlers money for it - because we have a court order preventing the listing of FGVH any time soon” he pointed out.

“Some of the settlers make RM10,000 to RM20,000 from their yield, so it is not exactly windfall revenue.”

Anak has obtained an interim injunction from the Kuantan High Court to stop Koperasi Permodalan Felda from disposing of its equity to FGVH ahead of its extraordinary general meeting which had been scheduled for Feb 22.

Justice Mariana Yahya also barred any discussion and decision pertaining to the disposal of shares belonging to Felda Holding and its 10 subsidiaries to FGVH.

“I may be wrong but we demand to know the real purpose of the circular, because the managers have all the settlers’ information... what is the purpose of requesting this again?”

He urged Isa and Ahmad Maslan the deputy minister in charge of Felda affairs, to explain the “motive” behind the circular.

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