This "questionable" spending was in the list of expenditures that Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim read out to the Assembly yesterday, in answer to two questions on Balkis from Lau Weng San (DAP-Kampung Tunku) and Dr Shafie Abu Bakar (PAS-Bangi).
These clothes were bought Galeri Balkis Sdn Bhd. Other expenditures pertained to the organising of charity events.
He also told the assembly how much state investment arms and companies like PKNS, Kumpulan Darul Ehsan Bhd and Permodalan Negeri Selangor Bhd (PNSB) had contributed to Balkis.
Abdul Khalid also said PNSB had contributed a total RM5,186,948 to Balkis.
The accounts of PNSB showed the company forked out RM50,000 for the officiating of Kompleks Wawasan Balkis and a majilis korban, and another RM50,000 for orphans.
Another Balkis charity programme cost RM250,000, while RM49,000 went for souvenirs, RM22,000 for Ramadan contribution, RM250,000 for a Deepavali and Hari Raya programme, RM100 for uniforms, RM30,000 for food, and RM36,000 for souvenirs for VVIPs.
Abdul Khalid said he would not use the word dissolution on Balkis as the application for dissolution of the society has yet to be approved.
"Whatever action we take on the matter should be done in a proper manner because the people involved should be given a fair chance to respond to the queries that have been raised. One thing is clear, the state government will not continue with land allocation to Balkis for the purpose of transfer to bodies which are not part of the state government. And we do not consider Bakti as a state government organisation," Abdul Khalid said.
Abdul Khalid earlier announced that a Special Select Committee for competency, transparency and accountability will be set up to address misuse of funds.
He said among its first probes would be on the expenditures of Balkis and the usage of the whole RM29 million allocation for 2008 for state assemblymen within the first two months of this year.
Speaking to reporters after the morning session of the state assembly sitting today, he said the assembly will move a motion to set up this committee which will be made up of five or six members.
"Four of the members will be from the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) and the rest form the opposition (Barisan Nasional)," he said.
The people involved will be called up to meet with the committee and the state assembly has the power to compel their attendance to extract information on the usage of funds and expenditure of people and organizations concerned, he said.
It was revealed that 90.16% of the RM29,544,000million allocation to state assemblymen for 2008 was spent before March.
Abdul Khalid said the allocation which was used up within the first two months of the year was no small matter.
"We have of course given more allocations for the new state assemblymen; however we pity the Rakyat because they have missed out of the earlier funds supplied for their benefit," he said.
Former mentri besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo said: "There is no misuse of funds in Balkis."
All the monies concerned have been transferred to Bakti (the Federal equivalent of Balkis) and chanelled towards supporting the schools, he said.
The Registrar of Societies (ROS) will get back to them within the 30-day period and this matter is not up to the state government but the ROS, he added while reiterating that the 70% mandate needed to disband the organistion had been obtained.
"It is up to the Pakatan Rakyat to set up their own wives of assemblyment and parliamentarian organisation, so that they can compete with the Barisan Nasional (BN) wives and state assemblymen association," Mohd Khir said.
Commenting on the RM29 million expenditure by BN state assemblymen within the first two months of this year, Mohd Khir said: "The allocation had been given to non-governmental organisations, places of worship, social organisations and to carry out programmes as per the applications made.
"This allocation was used for the Rakyat, but now the impression being given is that it had been used up by the state assemblymen themselves."
Mohd Khir also complained that the PR government was doing the exact same thing they had complained about before. "The allocation given now is only for the PR assemblymen but when we did this they complained. Now they are doing the same things we did before."
