Malaysia tourism ministry in corruption probe
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) has started investigations on two senior Tourism Ministry officers for allegedly misusing government funds to produce a tourism promotional video.
The Star newspaper says it has learnt that four ACA officers from Putrajaya went to the ministry and made inquiries into the allegations.
Sources said they spent several hours asking questions about procedures practised by the ministry with regards to its promotions.
Tourism minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor was reported to have said that his ministry started an internal probe two weeks ago following allegations that the two officers were alleged to have misused about RM850,000 to promote Malaysia as a tourism destination, including producing a video.
It was reported that a tender for the video production was given to a non-existent company registered to several South Koreans, who are said to be friends of the two officers.
According to the New Straits Times, Tengku Adnan denied reports that he had been aware of the project and that he and his family had gone skiing with one of the officers involved during a holiday trip to South Korea.
“I did not know about the video. I was shocked when I was told about the news,” he said.
Tengku Adnan also said he did not know how to ski and had not gone to South Korea with the officer, except for a tourism promotional event last year.
He said the ministry was also investigating how the allegation had reached the media and who had leaked the information.
“We believe it could be some staff members who are unhappy and disappointed with recent promotions in the ministry, because one of the accused was also promoted.”
Tengku Adnan said all future tourism programmes must be endorsed by him to ensure that the ministry was aware of any promotional events overseas.
The tourism ministry was given RM149m (US$45m) to promote Visit Malaysia 2007.
Ian Jarrett
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