Hickory dickory dock, RTM paid RM3,810 for a clock

AUDIT REPORT Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) splashed a staggering RM3,810 for a wall clock that should have cost just RM100, according to the 2012 Attorney-General's Report.

The government-owned television network had 20 such wall clocks, bringing the total sum to RM76,200.

The report later elaborated that the "wall clocks" were actually component parts, known as "slave clocks", of the "master clock system", which cost RM116,220.

However, the master clock system did not function as expected, so RTM resorted to using the high-tech clocks as ordinary wall clocks.

The spending spree did not end there as it also paid 24 times more for A4 size scanners and four times more for A3 scanners.
    
RTM paid RM20,630 each for five A3 size scanners that were actually worth RM1,000 a unit and RM14,670 each for three A4 scanners that were in fact RM200 a unit.

Manager 'forgot' about expensive items

The report also noted that RTM procured a "building acoustic measuring system" for RM597,330 when the device was estimated to cost only RM100,000.

However, RTM did manage to acquire other items at great discounts, such as a ‘PC Tool Kit’ at RM2,000 and laser jet printers at RM550 a unit, which is less than half the market price.

Even though the procurement of these miscellaneous items were done through open tender, the report says that RTM's total contract of RM9,468,900 was overpriced by RM177,400.

The report also noted that RTM had once paid for RM23,500 worth of equipment even though the company had yet to receive the equipment. This was regarded an improper practice.

In a reply to Auditor-General's Department by the Communications and Multimedia Ministry on June 5, 2013, the said equipment had since arrived.

The report also identified some wastage by RTM, including its acquisition of RM151,018 worth of items such as LCD televisions, GPS receivers and scanners that were never utilised, as the manager had forgot about their existence.