SHAH ALAM, January 22 – Selangor Angkatan Muda Keadilan (AMK) said today it supports the appointment of Othman Omar as General Manager of Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS) even though it realised there was a conspiracy by certain parties to stop him from continuing to hold the post.

Selangor AMK Information Chief, Mazli Saring said there were attempts from certain quarters who were trying to test Othman’s credibility as could be seen from reports in a local English daily, recently.

“We feel there is a conspiracy by certain parties which aimed to prevent him from heading PKNS as its new General Manager,” he said in a media statement which was sent here today.

According to him, as a large conglomerate, such a high post in a subsidiary company of the state government’s was sure to attract a lot of interest.

However, he said, the post would only be given to those who were truly qualified.

“With such an outstanding background, Othman is the correct and final choice,” he said.

He said, Othman had 25 years of extensive background in housing, real estate and the corporate world both inside and outside the country.

Mazli added, Othman had also been awarded the British Industrial Federal Scholarship and had worked with George Wimpey PLC in real estate development projects under Wimpey Homes-Taylor-Wimpey, in London and several other places in England.

He said, upon his return to Malaysia in 1989, Othman had joined Energoproject, a company and contractor from Yugoslavia to build the main stadium in Shah Alam at the cost of RM850 million and later headed the Engineering Division of PROPEL Berhad, held the post of Managing Director KESAS Holdings Berhad and Director of KLWK Sdn Bhd – a subsidiary company of SP Setia Berhad.

“AMK Selangor does not see anything wrong with Othman’s involvement in business prior to this as he had never been tied down to any government service directives,” he said.

He said, it sufficed that Othman had admitted he was no longer actively involved in the businesses that had been questioned by the English newspaper. Therefore, he said, such issues should no longer be questioned, especially considering he had since undergone an extremely strict  selection process and had been shortlisted out of 58 candidates by an independent election panel.

Mazli added, in the process of being selected, three senior government Excos from Pakatan Rakyat, PKR, DAP and PAS were also involved in choosing candidates from around the country.

“This shows that the state Exco members were not just ‘rubber stamps’ as previously claimed by irresponsible quarters,” he said, adding that he hoped PKNS corrected its direction and implemented better management and expenditure skills. He also hoped that it would give full opportunities in helping qualified bumiputera entrepreneurs in helping to develop PKNS as well as Selangor in general.

In the statement, Mazli also touched upon reports of corruption by the Democracy and Anti Corruption Movement (Gerak Malaysia) against Dato’ Menteri Besar Selangor, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, claiming he had used state funds to sponsor 46 sacrificial cows for the constituency of Bandar Tun Razak.

He said, there could be attempts to ensnare Abdul Khalid in relation to the issue.

“AMK Selangor also thinks it could be closely related to the issue of Othman Omar’s appointment as PKNS’ new General Manager,” he said.

He also said, in their complaint to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), Gerak Malaysia’s chairman Mohd Nazree alleged that Abdul Khalid had bought the cows at the price of RM110,400.00 using the funds of a state government agency, Selangor Industrial Corporation Sdn Bhd (SICSB).

Gerak’s Chairman also claimed, they had received documents last week from an individual working with the state government agency.

However, he said, as emphasized by Dato’ Menteri Besar, there were no such use of state government funds to purchase the cattle for the Bandar Tun Razak constituency.

Instead, the cows had been donated by six subsidiary and associated companies of the Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS) out of their own sense of social corporate responsibility.

He hoped Gerak Malaysia would not practise ‘selective prosecution’ in its attempts to stop corruption. – MURIZA ABDUL HAMID.