Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung today questioned whether the remaining RM3 million in constituency allocations for his seat had been diverted to the management of the PKR leadership.
This comes after Lee (above) said he had received a screenshot purportedly showing Petaling Jaya PKR division chief Hee Loy Sian informing party members that the Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU) applications for minor works and financial assistance for the constituency can be referred to him.
The ICU is a department under the Prime Minister's Department that also oversees the MyKhas portal, which manages parliamentary allocations.
“Does the allocation remain under government control through a transparent process, or is it now being administered through a mechanism managed by PKR?
“The government must explain the actual mechanism to avoid the perception that public funds have become ‘party funds’.
“Therefore, the public has the right to ask whether the move to transfer the authority to manage public funds to a political party branch chief constitutes a form of ‘sakau’ (theft) that is now deemed acceptable,” he said on Facebook.
Lee pointed out the irony of the situation, noting that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had frequently used the term "sakau" to criticise the misuse of public funds.
He further questioned why funds intended for the public were allegedly managed by a political party leader instead of the elected representative, and why the change had not been announced publicly.
“Had this screenshot not been revealed, only a select group close to the PKR branch leadership would have known about this new application channel, while the majority of Petaling Jaya residents would have remained in the dark,” Lee lamented.
The lawmaker also questioned whether other MPs who similarly lost access to the MyKhas portal were facing the same situation.
Malaysiakini has contacted Anwar's press officer, Hee, MACC and the ICU for comments.
While the press officer, MACC and Hee have yet to respond, ICU told Malaysiakini that it has no comments for now and will update when there are developments.
Rodziah’s predicament
Lee’s remarks followed Ampang MP Rodziah Ismail's revelation yesterday that she was the latest Pakatan Harapan MP barred from accessing the portal.
Within hours, Anwar's political secretary announced that he had been appointed the parliamentary coordinator for Ampang by the premier.
Taking to Facebook, Azman Abidin said he would coordinate efforts with the ICU and relevant government agencies to ensure government initiatives reach the people more effectively.
However, in response, Rodziah claimed she was neither informed nor consulted on Azman's appointment.
To date, Lee, Rodziah and Subang MP Wong Chen have lost access to the MyKhas portal. Wong was the first to report his access issue, followed by Lee and Rodziah.
Both Lee and Wong previously claimed that the move could be linked to their political alignment with former PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli, who now leads Bersama alongside former PKR vice-president Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.
Rodziah is also seen as an ally of Rafizi.
In June, government spokesperson Fahmi Fadzil said the restrictions were not imposed arbitrarily and that residents of the affected constituencies could continue to apply for assistance directly through the ICU.
Anwar later confirmed in July that the allocation remains available to the public, even if it is not channelled through elected parliamentarians.
MACC must clarify
Lee then urged the MACC to clarify whether such a mechanism complies with the principles of good governance, integrity and the law, or whether it warrants investigation to prevent any abuse of power or conflict of interest.
He also asked the component parties of the coalition government to state their position on the matter.
"Do DAP, Amanah and the other parties in the unity government agree that public funds can be managed by political party leaders without any public announcement?
"I wish to stress once again that this is not about the interests of an MP.
"It is about transparency, accountability and the right of the people of Petaling Jaya to know who is now managing the remaining RM3 million constituency allocation, under what authority, through what procedures, and with what checks and balances.
“The government owes the public a clear and transparent explanation," Lee added. - Mkini
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