CCM aborts checks into Suaram accounts

PETALING JAYA: Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) officials today had to abort their inspection of Suaram’s accounts when an official of the human rights organisation noticed that their inspection notice was not in order.

According to Suaram’s monitoring and documentation coordinator Wong Ka Fai, four SSM officers, including assistant registrar Azahari Abdul Rahman, produced a notice of inspection when they appeared at his office this afternoon.

“It was a notice of inspection under Section 7 (b) of the Companies Act 1965,” said Wong.

Section 7(b) empowers the Registrar of Companies to conduct an inspection at any place or building.

“The officials were inspecting Suaram’s financial records from the year 2008 until 2011 when I noticed that the notice was signed by Azahari,” Wong said.

“When I questioned whether the Companies Act empowered them to inspect, they backed off,” said Wong.

Suaram has been in the spotlight lately for alleging corruption in Malaysia’s purchase of Scorpene submarines from a French firm. In November 2009, it lodged a complaint with French authorities asking for a judicial review of the purchase. The ongoing inquiry at the Tribunal De Grande Instance in Paris is a result of this complaint.

The inquiry is probing alleged corruption involving top officials from both Malaysia and France.

Yesterday, Bernama quoted another NGO, Jaringan Melayu Malaysia (JMM), as urging Suaram to clarify its NGO status.

According to the national news agency, JMM President Azwanddin Hamzah said Suaram was registered as Suara Inisiatif Sdn Bhd, a business entity dealing with event management.

Azwanddin also said Suaram had business revenues of RM497,137 in 2009 and RM411,226 in 2010.

Wong told FMT the SSM officials said they would return with proper documentation to continue their inspection tomorrow morning.

CCM aborts checks into Suaram accounts

K Pragalath | July 3, 2012

Suaram shooting themselves in the foot.

KUALA LUMPUR: Human rights group Suaram was asked to be transparent regarding funds collected during the Scorpene 2.0 fundraising dinner last month.

One of blog posts raised questions as to how the fund was managed especially in the light of allegations that Suaram unregistered with the Registrar of Society (ROS).

A blog post at MyKMU.net questioned: “This raises a question - if it (Suaram) is not even registered, where did the funds collected during the fundraising dinner go? How was it channelled, kept and managed?”

The blog pressed further on the Scorpene fund,  asking: “We now know there is no trial on the Scorpene (issue), no one is subpoenaed and the investigation conducted is against the French politician who might be involved in corruption relating to DCNS (the French company).”

“So how much has been spent on a "non-case" case? Secondly, where did the remaining funds go? This needs to be clarified because the money is collected from the public.”

The blog post criticised Suaram further for its lack of transparency in managing the fund, when the group has been consistent in highlighting and questioning Barisan Nasional government’s transparency and integrity.

“They (Suaram) have been collecting money without any audit on how the money is spent. Is this what it called transparency and accountability?”

Bernama reported Jaringan Melayu Malaysia (JMM) president Azwanddin Hamzah claimed Suaram was not an NGO but a registered private company under the name of Suara Inisiatif Sdn Bhd.

Azwanddin reportedly said: “According to documents from SSM (Companies Commission of Malaysia), the shareholder and the director of this company are Yeoh Seng Guan and Kua Kia Soong whose appointment was taken on June 7, 2004.”

He also alleged that Suaram was not even registered with ROS as an NGO.

Efforts to contact Suaram’s director Cynthia Gabriel for clarification yesterday were unsuccessful.

Previously The Mole highlighted a blog post which described the opposition and Suaram’s resorting to “made-up stories and illogical arguments” in their attempts to implicate the Malaysian Government in the so-called Scorpene submarine scandal, will only end up "shooting themselves in the feet".

The blog post at Another Brick in The Wall stated: “The opposition has fallen into a state of decline. Their allegations are poorly substantiated, void of facts, sensationalised with lies and made-up stories, and illogical arguments”.  

The blogger noted the relative lack of coverage of the Scorpene issue in international media and said the Government may be staying quiet on the issue because revelations about Suaram’s allegations – as well as about its funding and opposition ties – equate to Suaram shooting themselves in the foot.

Suaram not legitimate NGO

KUALA LUMPUR: Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) is not a legitimate non-governmental organisation (NGO) as claimed, said a Malay rights group. 

The organisation, which claimed to be independent and non-partisan, is also not registered as a society. It is registered as a company under the Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM).

Jaringan Melayu Malaysia (JMM) president Azwanddin Hamzah yesterday said Suaram was registered as Suara Inisiatif Sdn Bhd (No 562530-P), a business entity dealing with events.

"This shows Suaram has deceived the public into believing it is an independent human rights organisation. Why is Suaram registered as a company and not an organisation?" he said .

Azwanddin said causes championed by Suaram had created ambiguity as it seemed to be partisan.

"Besides, some of the politicians in Pakatan Rakyat, such as R. Sivarasa, Tian Chua, and Elizabeth Wong, are from Suaram. How can Suaram assure the public that it is transparent and not partisan when its registration with CCM is dubious?"

Azwanddin said Sivarasa and Tian Chua should clarify the matter immediately.

He said based on CCM's year-end financial statement for 2010, Suaram had a business revenue of RM497,137 in 2009 and RM411,226 in 2010.

"How and where did the funds come from? Are there investors from outside the country funding Suaram? The people ought to know how Suaram declared such a high revenue."

He added that the company, registered in 2004, was headed by two people in the board of directors, Yeoh Seng Guan and Kua Kia Soong, and secretary, Wong Shan May, according to the CCM financial statement.

"JMM is curious why Suaram is involved in matters like the Scorpene submarine purchasing issue."

He said it was a disappointment that the public had been misled and made to believe that Suaram was an independent NGO.He handed out copies of CCM's financial statement on Suara Inisiatif to those present.

When contacted, Suaram executive director Nalini Elumalai said it would issue a statement today.

Read more: Group: Suaram not legitimate NGO - General - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/nation/general/group-suaram-not-legitimate-ngo-1.101169#ixzz2xz0DH4Cq

Suaram syarikat swasta, bukan NGO

KUALA LUMPUR 1 Julai - Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) perlu menjelaskan kedudukan sebenar pertubuhan itu kerana semakan di Suruhanjaya Syarikat Malaysia (SSM) mendapati ia merupakan syarikat swasta yang mempunyai pendapatan lebih RM900,000 pada tempoh 2009 dan 2010.

Presiden Jaringan Melayu Malaysia (JMM), Azwanddin Hamzah berkata, menerusi semakan dokumen awam SSM, Suaram adalah sebuah syarikat yang didaftarkan atas nama Suara Inisiatif Sdn. Bhd. dengan modal berbayar RM2 dan bukan pertubuhan bukan kerajaan (NGO).

Menurutnya, JMM difahamkan pemegang saham dan pengarah syarikat ini adalah Yeoh Seng Guan dan Kua Kia Soong dengan tarikh pelantikan kedua mereka sebagai pengarah adalah pada 7 Jun 2004.

“JMM juga difahamkan bahawa jumlah pendapatan syarikat ini adalah RM497,137 pada tahun 2009 dan RM411,226 pada tahun 2010.

“JMM mahu tahu sama ada pendapatan syarikat ini dari dalam atau luar serta apakah identiti penyumbang, motif serta niat sebenar mereka," katanya pada sidang akhbar di sini hari ini.

Turut hadir Setiausaha Agung JMM, Tengku Amalluddin Sani Raja Ahmad Sufian.

Sehubungan itu, Ahli Majlis Pimpinan Pusat (MPP) Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), R. Sivarasa serta Naib Presiden PKR, Tian Chua diminta membuat pengesahan dan memberi penjelasan kepada umum mengenai sumber sebenar pendapatan syarikat itu.

Jelas beliau, pemeriksaan lanjut yang dilakukan pihaknya turut mendapati Suaram tidak berdaftar di dalam Pendaftar Pertubuhan (ROS) sebagai NGO.

Berdasarkan semakan lanjut kepada dokumen awam SSM, Suara Inisiatif adalah sebuah organisasi yang tidak bermotifkan keuntungan dengan aktiviti utamanya adalah menganjurkan kempen mengenai hak asasi kemanusiaan serta aktiviti-aktiviti berkaitan.

“Selama ini mereka cenderung kepada sesuatu pihak, saya tidak mahu tuduh tetapi mereka perlu perjelaskan sumber sebenar pendapatan mereka, lagipun mereka yang selama ini memperkatakan mengenai ketelusan. 

“Mereka berlagak seperti sebuah NGO tetapi sebenarnya adalah sebuah syarikat swasta. Sumber pendapatan kira-kira RM900,000 itu adalah satu jumlah besar yang perlu diperjelaskan sama ada dari dalam atau luar negara," katanya.

Sebelum ini, Pengerusi Parti Kesejahteraan Insan Tanah Air (KITA) Kedah, Zamil Ibrahim pernah mendesak Suaram mendedahkan sumber kewangan dan penaja pertubuhan itu kerana dilihat berterusan memainkan isu penyelewengan dalam pembelian dua kapal selam negara Scorpene sehingga membawa kes tersebut di sebuah tribunal di Perancis.