GEORGE TOWN, May 4 — Penang Gerakan lodged a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) over graft allegations involving its RM11.93 million poultry distribution centre.
Its state complaints bureau chief H’ng Khoon Leng questioned the decision-making process surrounding the poultry distribution centre.
“There is a high possibility of wrongdoing and corruption involved in the awarding of the project to a private company that does not have experience in poultry farming or any farming-related sector,” he said during a press conference outside the MACC headquarters in Penang here.
He said there was no reason why an inexperienced company should be selected to manage the poultry distribution centre in Batu Lanchang when there are other companies in the sector that are more qualified.
In the report, Gerakan listed 10 points for the MACC to start investigations into the poultry distribution centre.
“We have named the local authority, Penang Island City Council (MBPP), and the state government along with some individuals in our report,” he said, while declining to name the individuals.
He said Penang Gerakan has raised the issue numerous times as it affected poultry traders and consumers.
“There was no response from the state or MBPP, except maybe only once by the state exco, so we are lodging this report so that the MACC will investigate,” he said.
He appealed to the MACC to launch immediate investigations as this issue affects the income of poultry traders on the island.
Penang Gerakan submitted an official report to the MACC online at about 7.35am this morning.
“We have a lot of documents to attach so it was too heavy to upload to the system. This is why we are here to submit additional documentation,” he said.
Over the past few months, some poultry traders have complained about the directive by MBPP to set up chillers to display their wares at their stalls in wet markets.
Poultry traders were also not allowed to slaughter chicken in wet markets from March onwards.
There was a furore among the poultry traders against the poultry distribution centre with allegations that it was a monopoly that has affected the other poultry suppliers on the island.
MBPP has explained that the chiller requirement was to ensure the quality of the poultry, while the ban on slaughtering chicken at wet markets was as per a directive from the federal government.
