GEORGE TOWN, Aug 1 — A relatively unknown party calling itself the Penang Front Party (PFP) wants the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to investigate two local councils that were implicated in a foreign awards-for-sale.

PFP president Datuk Patrick Ooi filed a complaint today against the Penang Island City Council (MBPP), Seberang Perai Municipal Council (MPSP), MBPP Mayor Datuk Maimunah Shariff, former mayor Datuk Patahiyah Ismail and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng following controversy into the Europe Business Assembly (EBA) awards.

"I have submitted documents relating to the EBA awards so that the MACC can investigate this issue thoroughly,” he said.

He said it is shameful that both local councils are involved in the dubious EBA awards that was recently reported to be fake awards sold for a price to many Third World countries.

Both MPPP and MPSP received awards from EBA in 2013 and 2014.

Ooi said there are many questions left unanswered by the state government over the EBA awards both local councils received.

He demanded that Lim explain whether the state government had approved both local councils to pay the entry fee to take part in the EBA conference and receive the awards as claimed by Maimunah.

"We also want an explanation from the state government and Lim Guan Eng whether it is true that there is payment made to EBA for all the awards the councils received,” he asked.

He said there are still doubts about this even though Maimunah had confirmed both MBPP and MPSP paid entry fees to be eligible for the awards.

On Saturday, Maimunah denied that the local councils had bought the awards from EBA.

However, she admitted that MBPP paid "entry fees” of RM20,680 and MPSP paid RM18,408 to take part in the EBA conference.