UMNO hid facts about Mat Sabu's medical claims...

PBA Holdings Berhad has clarified that PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu's medical claims was appropriate as he was entitled to the benefit as a member of the company's board of directors.

The company's chief executive officer Jaseni Maidinsa said Mohamad, better known as Mat Sabu (in wheelchair), had submitted his bills on Aug 9 to the board, which vetted the details throughly before approving the amount of RM8,434.05.

This amount comprised of RM5,060.54 for hospitalisation, while the remaining RM3,373.50 was for consultancy fees for a knee injury that Mat Sabu had sustained in a motorcycle accident during the Bersih 2.0 rally in Kuala Lumpur on July 9.

According to Jaseni, both figures have been verified by the hospital to be correct.

Jaseni said that the company had then made a corporate decision to allow Mat Sabu's claim as it wanted the latter to be fit enough to attend an important board of directors meeting on Aug 19.
He added that it was fortunate that Mat Sabu had recovered in time to attend the meeting although he had to undergo knee surgery.

“As a member of the board of directors, Mat Sabu is entitled to claim. It is not a very big sum. Some companies send their directors for holidays around the world but we do not do that, we are more prudent,” he told reporters in Penang today.

“The issue here is that the health of the director was very important as he needed to attend a very important board meeting. His attendance at meetings is always 100 percent,” said Jaseni.

“The people who highlighted the news did not do justice to the issue. We have all the documents to prove that the claim was in order. But they did not give the facts,” he added.

During the press conference, Jaseni was accompanied by Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang Sdn Bhd (PBAPP) corporate affairs manager K Jeyabalan.

The issue came to light last week when Umno Youth information head Reezal Merican said that he had evidence that Mat Sabu had overclaimed the money for his medical bills. Reezal had asked Lim, who is PBAPP chairperson, to explain what the additional costs of RM3,373.50 was for.

This was followed by a report lodged at the Penang branch of the Malaysian Ant-Corruption Commission (MACC) by Parti Cinta Malaysia vice-chief Huan Cheng Guan (right in photo).

Huan also wanted the MACC to probe why and how Lim approved the claims when it did not involve Mat Sabu's work at the PBAPP but instead was related to his participation in “an illegal assembly”.

Jaseni is currently being questioned by Penang MACC's officers, but said, “We told them everything that we have told you”.

'Similar benefits available to all board members'

Meanwhile, Lim said Mat Sabu's medical claims was not excessive and similar benefits were available to all members of the board of directors.

Instead, the MACC should now investigate those who made a “false” report that there were extra claims when the amount had been verified to be “true and correct”.

“Reezal had both receipts but he showed only one (RM5,060.54). Don't tell me that Mat Sabu wants to cheat the company of only RM3,000? This does not make sense,” he said.

“Reezal has bad intentions and the MACC should probe into these claims, and if found to be false, should take the appropriate action against him,” he added.

Lim, who is also DAP national secretary-general, dismissed claims that Mat Sabu had participated in an illegal gathering.

“When police arrested him, the gathering had not even started yet. How can it be illegal? Mat Sabu at that time was on his way to the mosque. Don't tell me that it is haram to go to the mosque?” he queried.

When asked to comment on Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's recent trip to Perth, Australia, for knee therapy and a vacation on National Day, Lim declined to make an issue of the matter.

“Anyone should be able to seek the best medical treatment for himself or herself. We are not making an issue of Najib's trip to Australia.

“So why is Umno making a fuss about Mat Sabu's case when he has chosen to seek treatment in a Malaysian hospital?” he queried.

Lim said the allegations against Mat Sabu were unfair, and those who accused him of making extra claims should ask forgiveness from him and from God as it was done during the fasting month.

source:malaysiakini

Aiya...kalu yang cedera tu orang UMNO/BN, sudah tentu claimnya bukan 8,000 beb! tapi 80,000 ribu!!

Itulah perangai UMNO, apa depa buat tak nampak tapi bila mai kat pembangkang semuanya salah.....

cheers.