PUTRAJAYA, July 8 – The Youth and Sports Ministry will soon sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) so that all expenditure is directly monitored by the MACC.
Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Paul Low Seng Kuan will lead the surveillance team which aims to ensure that expenditure made by the ministry was transparent.
“The ministry needs to be careful in managing its finances, for example development projects such as building the National Youth Skills Institute (IKBN), supplying equipment to IKBN and others involve a lot of money and can reach millions of ringgit a year so the MoU with the MACC will ensure there are no leakages or wastage involving money,” he said.
Khairy said this at a news conference after presenting Excellent Service Awards to ministry personnel at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC), here today.
Also present was Youth and Sports Ministry Secretary-General Datuk Jamil Salleh.
A total of 351 personnel from the ministry and its agencies nationwide received the award.
He said the ministry’s secretary-general will also be responsible for making sure all expenditure involving functions and sports events can be reduced in the future compared to previous years.
When asked regarding the case of a female athlete who was raped by a group of male handball athletes at the sports village in Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) recently, Khairy said the athletes involved and more than 14 others will be suspended.
“I was told that more than 14 people were involved included coaches, officers and athletes who were guilty of drinking in the sports village before the rape incident so they should be suspended,” he said.
He said he was disappointed over the incident and wants the National Sports Council, Federal Territory Sports Council and Malaysian Amateur Handball Federation (MAHF) to do a complete investigation and suspend those involved before deciding whether or not they can take part in the next sporting event.
– BERNAMA
