Penang to probe financial records of wives club, too - The Star

PENANG: April 29, 2008

The state government has ordered its state financial officer to look into the status of Persatuan Bunga Tanjung, the association for former Barisan National state assemblymen wives, and its financial records.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said he had asked Datuk Supiah Md Yusof to report back to him his findings.

Former chief minister Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon’s wife, Puan Sri Chui Kah Peng, headed Bunga Tanjung.

It is understood the former officer bearers of the association have yet to vacate their seats even though the new state government took over the administration of the state last month. The wives of the DAP state assemblymen have yet to take over the membership of the organisation.

A source said Bunga Tanjung has about RM250,000 in its bank account.

Attempts to get the several wives of the former Barisan state assemblymen failed while DAP assemblymen refused to comment on the status of the association or the membership of their wives.

In Alor Star, the Wives of Kedah Assemblymen and Parliamentarians Welfare Body (Bidara) just has a token sum in its coffers, according to Bidara president Datin Seri Noraini Abdullah. She said funds were usually disbursed immediately after a fund-raising campaign.

“We do not accumulate funds. We hold fundraisers as and when the need arises. Usually in a year, we choose 10 charitable organisations and orphanages.

“We also give aid to needy handicapped people and hardcore poor folks. But we do not give aid to the same people year after year. We give aid to different groups of people each year,” she said yesterday.

She said that Bidara would continue to operate as usual, although Kedah was now under the Pakatan Rakyat Government.

Bidara is a non-governmental organisation that would continue to be under the control of the wives of present and past Barisan National elected representatives, she said.

Noraini also said Bidara was not giving up its RM300,000 premises at Jalan Sultanah.

“That premises is Bidara property. We do not see why we cannot continue operating from there.”

State executive councillor Amiruddin Hamzah said that wives of Pakatan Rakyat elected representatives might set up a similar body if it was legally not possible to take over Bidara.