The ADO Pembangunan and ADUN’s allocations.

 

I read the following from the hearing on how state reps spend their allocation. A few government officers were summoned before a select committee to clarify certain matters. The select committee SELCAT was headed by TC Khim. This particular one is interesting. It involved the questioning of a former ADO, Tahir Bujang. As he was in charge on processing Local Orders of ADUNs, I guess he was at that time, ADO Pembangunan.

The former ADO and now DO, Tahir Bujang was correct when he said how and what the money was used for was not his concern.

He is right. Each ADUN is allocated a budget to which he then applies for many uses. Purchase computers for JKKK, Youth bodies, and other organisations not being political party. To TADIKAS, voluntary organisations, sumbangan for kenduris and so forth. Sponsor trips to Langkawai and all that, pay for buses for kumpulan wanita to shop at Nilai atau Rantau Panjang.

These allocations are not departmental expenses under the supervision of ADO pembangunan. Tahir is right when he says, he isn't concern how and where the particular YB spends the money. The onus of responsibility lies with the ADUN concerned. If he provides for a group to dangdut in Medan or Jakarta, that too is not his concern. If he pays for schoolbags for some village group, that isn't his concern. The ADO or his officers do not have authority to manage the peruntukan to an ADUN or judge where the money is applied to. His duty is to process the LOs.

The officers at the Bahagian Pembangunan where the ADO concern heads merely process the submissions of the YB concern which are made though Local Orders (LO) with bills from vendors/suppliers attached. From there, the processed applications for payents are sent to the State accountant's office to be disbursed. The money is paid directly to the vendor or contractor or supplier. If the ADUN kautims with the supplier, Tahir does not have to bother.

The selection of the contractor or supplier is done by the wakil rakyat concerned. If he has business kakis, he will choose a one stop contractor like Rony Liew does. Look at his list of supplier/contractor , you can immediately single out one particular vendor. That vendor is mister fix it- buys schoolbags, finances kenduris, trips etc or even maybe exchange cash for cheques. Who knows? When anyone does this, it of course raises suspicions. Again, it's not Tahir's concern. If Rony liew or his officer skims from the allocations, that is also not Tahir's concern.

Each state has its own practices. Most wakil rakyats haven't got any preset list of contractors or suppliers. The Pejabat Daerah maintains a list of these and if the wakil rakyat so wishes, he can ask the name of the suppliers and vendors.

Of course, officers from the Pejabat Daerah do stupid things sometimes. Eg. Since it is not their responsibility over how and where the peruntukan for the ADUN is made, they don't have the authority to make field trips to the vendors office to verify the ADUNS's Local Orders. On what basis? This is not a departmental expenditure. A Wakil rakyat is not a worker under the ADO. They have authority to audit their own departmental expenditures not the wakil rakyat's.

So, Tahir BUjang is right when he said what he said.

The wakil rakyat can spend his peruntukan in a single day if he so wants. The speed by which he gets them processed and approved depends on his goodwill with the officers involved. These officers are not to be judged. The person to be judged is the wakil rakyat for spending his entire allocation in a very short time.

One thing I learn from my experience, those who complain loudest are the very ones asking most from the wakil rakyat.