Daging kerbau, makanan luput tarikh di kantin sekolah...

Kantin di sekolah berasrama penuh, sekolah menengah teknik/vokasional, teknikal dan sekolah agama bantuan kerajaan menyajikan daging kerbau beku yang diimport dan bukannya daging lembu segar seperti dalam kontrak perkhidmatan Bekalan Makanan Bermasak (BMB), Laporan Ketua Audit Negara 2011.

Bukan sahaja makanan yang tidak mematuhi keperluan nutrien, malah setor kantin-kantin tersebut juga menyimpan barangan yang telah luput tarikh guna dan jenama makanan yang tidak diluluskan oleh kementerian.

Mengikut kontrak, kontraktor hendaklah memastikan bahan makanan seperti bahan mentah dan bahan kering yang digunakan berkualiti, halal, tidak luput tarikh guna, mengikut spesifikasi, jenama dan tertakluk kepada akta makanan yang sedang berkuatkuasa.

Daging lembu atau ayam mestilah bermutu dan disahkan halal oleh pihak berkuasa manakala ikan hendaklah dalam keadaan segar.

Semakan Audit mendapati sebahagian daripada syarat kontrak ini tidak dipatuhi oleh kontraktor kantin. Ini adalah penemuan audit di 30 kantin sekolah di Terengganu, Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur, Johor, Sabah dan Selangor.

Sepuluh kantin menggunakan bahan mentah seperti daging kerbau yang dimport dan ikan sejuk beku yang tidak segar untuk hidangan pada murid, manakala kantin di 21 sekolah lagi tidak membekalkan item bahan kering mengikut jenama, spesifikasi dan kualiti yang ditetapkan dalam kontrak.

Sebagai contoh, pengusaha kantin tidak menggunakan Horlicks seperti yang dinyatakan dalam kontrak, tetapi sebaliknya menggunakan Coco Tiger. 
 
Mereka tidak menggunakan minyak masak jenama Pisau seperti dalam kontrak tetapi menggunakan bukan minyak masak Mibo.
 
Bagi kicap pula, mereka sepatutnya menggunakan kicap cap Kipas dan cap Ayam. Tetapi mereka menggunakan kicap cap Angsa Mas. Manakala kordial Sunquick digunakan menggantikan jus Peel Fresh.

Sos tiram, sos tomato dan mentega yang telah luput tarikh guna, seawal dua bulan sebelum diaudit, ditemui di beberapa setor manakala sebuah sekolah di Johor menggunakan minyak masak yang diisi dalam botol minyak terpakai.

Sedang mengikut kontrak, minyak masa hendaklah dibekal dalam tin atau botol bermetri dan apabila digunakan untuk menggoreng hanya dibenarkan untuk digunakan sekali sahaja..

Seorang pengendali kantin sekolah di Selangor menggunakan bahan perasa makanan yang tidak digalakkan, manakala pewarna dan perisa minuman digunakan di sekolah-sekolah di Johor.

Seorang pengendali kantin sekolah di Sabah pula didapati menghidangkan mi kosong tanpa sayur-sayuran, dan ini melanggar kontrak, manakala yang lain menggunakan bekas memasak yang berkarat dan dimasak di kawasan yang kotor.

Dalam reaksinya, Kementerian Pelajaran berkata ia akan menyiasat perkara itu dan memberi amaran terhadap pengendali kantin terbabit dan mengambil tindakan terhadap mereka jika tidak terdapat sebarang peningkatan.

"Kementerian mengambil perhatian serius. Menggunakan minyak masak yang diisi di dalam botol minyak terpakai merupakan satu tindakan penipuan... pihak kontraktor telah diberi peringatan tegas bagi memastikan perkara ini tidak berulang.

"Pihak sekolah telah membuat teguran kepada pihak kontraktor berkenaan kawalan pnggunaan bahan serta perasa makanan yang tidak digalakkan di dalam penyediaan makanan dan minuman di sekolah."

Mengikut kontraktor, mereka menggunakan daging kerbau dan ikan yang sejuk beku yang tidak segar kerana kesukaran mendapatkan bekalan bahan mentah dalam kuantiti yang banyak untuk hidangan kepada murid.

Restoran Jom Makan di Tokyo, London bungkus...

Satu rancangan untuk menubuhkan rangkaian restoran Malaysia di lokasi antarabangsa melalui projek MyFranchise berakhir apabila hampir kesemua pelaburan berkenaan mengalami kerugian, menurut laporan Ketua Audit Negara 2011.

Audit berkenaan mendapati syarikat Malaysia International Franchise Sdn Bhd (MyFranchise) yang merupakan anak syarikat Perbadanan Nasional Bhd, "tidak berpengalaman" dan ini membawa kepada penutupan kedainya di Tokyo dan London.

Rancangan untuk membuka restoran mewah di New York akhirnya dihentikan dan restoran di Tokyo pula dikendalikan oleh seorang individu yang membuat "tuntutan palsu" – yang akhirnya terpaksa ditanggung MyFranchise.

Rangkaian restoran Jom Makan itu, meliputi restoran "quick service" di London, restoran "specialty" di Tokyo dan restoran "fine dining" di New York, merupakan prototaip kepada program Malaysia Kitchen yang dilancarkan pada 2006.

Projek itu dimulakan dengan geran kerajaan berjumlah RM20 juta, namun hanya RM16.4 juta digunakan dan bakinya dikembalikan kepada Kementerian Perdagangan Dalam Negeri, Koperasi dan Kepenggunaan pada 22 Februari 2012.
 

 

Bilik kebal rahsia besar simpan perabot lama...

Jabatan Pendaftar Pertubuhan Malaysia dan Jabatan Pertahanan Awam menerima teguran daripada Ketua Audit Negara kerana menyimpan perabot lama di dalam bilik kebal yang sepatutnya digunakan untuk menyimpan dokumen rahsia besar.

"Perenggan 58 Arahan Keselamatan antaranya menyatakan dokumen terperingkat Rahsia Besar merupakan dokumen yang perlu disimpan di dalam bilik kebal atau peti besi yang sepatutnya dipasang dengan kunci tatakira.

"Bagaimanapun, lawatan Audit ke Jabatan Pertahanan Awam Malaysia dan Jabatan Pendaftaran Pertubuhan Malaysia mendapati bilik kebal yang disediakan tidak digunakan mengikut fungsi bilik berkenaan.

"Sebaliknya, bilik tersebut telah digunakan untuk menyimpan perabot lama, peralatan pembersihan dan bekalan pejabat seperti ditunjukkan dalam gambar berikut," laporan itu dipetik.

Dokumen itu menyebut, amalan itu dikesan berlaku di kompleks Kementerian Dalam Negeri yang baru siap dibina pada Mac lalu di Johor bagi mengumpulkan kesemua agensi kementerian tersebut di bawah satu bumbung.

Laporan itu menyebut, jumlah bilik kebal tidak mencukupi untuk kegunaan jabatan lain di kompleks kementerian tersebut, menyebabkan dokumen terkawal disimpan di stor utama.

 

Pegawai kastam 'membeli-belah' RM1.82 juta...

Seorang pegawai kastam membeli ratusan barangan yang tidak diperuntukkan yang mencecah RM1.82 juta, demikian menurut Laporan Ketua Audit Negara 2011.

Pegawai tersebut, yang tidak dinamakan dalam laporan itu, telah membuat pesanan secara lisan bagi barangan tersebut, yang sesetengahnya berharga ribuan ringgit, dan melebihi kuantiti yang diluluskan oleh Jawatankuasa Penetapan Permohonan Pembelian Peralatan Logistik Pencegahan.

Pegawai itu membuat pesanan berikut:

• Tambahan 50 sistem GPS sedangkan dia hanya diberi kuasa untuk membuat pesanan bagi 30 sahaja, pada harga RM6,174 setiap satu;

• Tambahan 100 lampu Search Light Hell sedang jumlah yang diluluskan adalah 50 sahaja pada harga RM1,292,60 setiap;

• 60 lampu beacon pada harga RM1,311 setiap satu, sedang tiada kelulusan untuk membelinya.

• 250 lampu suluh yang boleh dicas semula pada harga RM1, 217,16 setiap satu, sedang tiada kelulusan untuk membelinya.

• 100 walkie-talkie pada harga RM5,259 setiap satu, sedang tiada kelulusan untuk membelinya.

Pegawai tersebut telah tidak diberi kuasa untuk membuat pesanan  bagi lampu beacon, lampu suluh dan walkie-talkie.

Menurut laporan audit, pembelian itu dibuat pada 2007 tetapi pembekalnya, True Target Resources, tidak dapat dibayar kerana bil tersebut telah melebihi bajet perolehan Jabatan Kastam Diraja Malaysia.

Ia menambah, Perbendaharaan pada tahun 2010 telah meluluskan pembayaran dan satu siasatan dijalankan terhadap pelanggaran peraturan tersebut.

Kementerian Kewangan pada 22 Disember 2010 telah mengeluarkan arahan kepada Jabatan Kastam supaya membuat laporan polis terhadap pegawai terbabit.

"Bagaimanapun, tiada tindakan diambil terhadap pegawai terlibat kerana beliau telah meletakkan jawatan dengan notis 24 jam pada 26 Februari 2008," kata laporan audit tersebut.

Pada 24 Mei 2012, Jabatan Kastam membuat laporan polis terhadap pegawai berkenaan.

 

Mindef bayar RM3.2b untuk kuarters 'tak memuaskan'...

Laporan Ketua Audit Negara yang dikemukakan ke Parlimen hari ini mendapati kontrak untuk membina kuarters untuk kakitangan yang berkahwin menelan kos sebanyak RM3.21 bilion namun hasil projek berkenaan dinyatakan tidak memuaskan.

Kos untuk 38 projek tersebut – melibatkan 9,455 unit kuarters dari jenis pangsapuri hingga banglo – pada asalnya dianggarkan menelan kos RM1.74 bilion namun meningkat 84 peratus kepada RM3.21 bilion.

Laporan itu menyebut, hanya satu daripada projek yang diaudit itu, yang merupaan sebahagian daripada Rancangan Malaysia Ke-9, dianugerahkan melalui tender terbuka manakala bakinya melalui rundingan terus, tender terhad atau dengan sebut harga.

Enam daripada projek ini terletak di Lembah Klang dan dianugerahkan kepada Syarikat USL – satu kerjasama di antara Syarikat Perumahan Negara Bhd dan Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera Sdn  Bhd.

Menurut laporan tersebut, USL didapati "tidak berpengalaman" dan pegawai teknikal syarikat itu pula "kurang kompeten" untuk menyiapkan projek tersebut.

 Buffalo meat, expired food in school canteens...

Some canteens in residential, vocational, technical and government-assisted Islamic schools have been serving imported frozen buffalo meat instead of fresh beef, the Auditor-General's Report 2011 has noted.

Not only is buffalo meat non-compliant with nutritional requirements, the pantries of most canteens were stocked with expired goods or food brands that had not been approved by the Education Ministry.

This was found during an audit of 30 school canteens in Terengganu, Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur, Johor, Sabah and Selangor last year.

Ten school canteens were using imported frozen meat, including buffalo meat and fish, while 21 were using inferior food brands that did not comply with quality standards.

For example, instead of using Horlicks as specified in their contract, canteen operators used Coco Tiger; Mibo cooking oil instead of Knife; Cap Angsa Emas soy sauce instead of Cap Kipas; and Sunquick cordial instead of Peel Fresh juice.

Oyster sauce, tomato sauce and butter which had expired two months before the audit were found in some pantries, while a school canteen in Johor had rebottled used cooking oil for reuse.

A canteen operator in Selangor had used "discouraged flavour enhancers" like monosodium glutamate, while drink colouring and flavouring were used in Johor school canteens.

A school canteen operator in Sabah had cut corners by serving plain noodles without vegetables, thereby contravening the contract, while others used rusty woks and cooked in dirty areas.

The government had in 2011 spent RM270.78 million to subsidise food for students in vocational, technical, residential and government-assisted Islamic schools.

'An act of cheating'

In response, the ministry told the auditor-general that it will carry out investigations, issue warnings to errant operators and take action if there is no improvement.

"The ministry views this matters seriously. The rebottling of used cooking oil is an act of cheating... The operator will be given a stern warning for this and the use of flavour enhancers," it said.

On the use of frozen meat and fish, canteen operators have claimed that it is difficult to purchase large quantities of fresh meat.

However, the ministry is holding school administrators accountable for not monitoring the operators.

A ministerial investigative committee will begin work this month into the issues raised in the audit report.

"As an interim measure, a directive was issued in May 2012 to ensure contract compliance and improvement in practices," said the ministry.

 

'Jom Makan' restaurants a recipe for disaster...

A cabinet-sanctioned idea for an international chain of Malaysian restaurants has gone up in smoke, the Auditor-General’s Report 2011 notes.

The audit has found that Malaysia International Franchise Sdn Bhd (MyFranchise), a Perbadanan Nasional Bhd subsidiary, to be “inexperienced” and this led to the closure of the outlets in Tokyo and London.

A plan to open a “fine dining” restaurant in New York was dropped while the Tokyo restaurant was operated by someone who filed “fake claims”, which had to be cleared by MyFranchise.

The Jom Makan restaurants - “quick service” in London, “specialty” in Tokyo and “fine dining” in New York - were to be prototype restaurants for the Malaysia Kitchen programme launched in 2006.

 
A government grant of RM20 million was given, but only RM16.4 million was used. The balance was returned to the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry on Feb 22, 2012.

The audit has found that the restaurants had failed because of “bad location, inexperience, a menu that was too wide, unreasonable prices, bad-tasting food and poor quality”.

In response, MyFranchise said it was given only two weeks to open up the restaurant in Tokyo, and as such could not scout for the right location.

Cheated another firm of RM280,000

The Tokyo restaurant changed managers several times, including one who used the restaurant to cheat another company of 7.3 million yen (RM278,904 as at December 2009 exchange rates).

“A claim was made to Cachette Co Ltd... using a fake document... and MyFranchise had remitted the payment made in full,” it notes, although it does not disclose the nationality of the errant manager.

The same manager also did not submit financial records and statements to MyFranchise, disabling the latter from monitoring the Tokyo restaurant's activities.

In response, MyFranchise said a complaint was lodged against the manager with Malaysian police in 2009, but it chose not to take civil action in Japan as it was too expensive.

MyFranchise said the financial statements were at first handled by an accountant, but the accountant refused to continue to work as the errant manager did not pay the acountant's fees.

“This was resolved after a new manager took over... No civil action was taken in Japan, as legal costs were too high - at an estimated RM2 million,” the company said.

MyFranchise was also paying for the parking costs of a Jom Makan van in Hanakoganei, just outside of central Tokyo, even after the restaurant closed.

Dormant company directors still paid fees

In response, the company said the van has now been disposed of and that the Japanese subsidiary set up to manage the restaurant is expected to be entirely disposed of in June 2013.

The London subsidiary was sold in January 2012.

Although Jom Makan International is a dormant company, the company continued to pay its directors about RM40,000 a year from 2007 to 2010. MyFranchise said the payments to directors ceased in July 2011.  

Meanwhile, MyFranchise had in July 2007 approved the purchase of a RM4.56 million shoplot in Kelana Jaya for the Kitchen Sentral project.

“Kitchen Sentral was to be a one-stop centre for research and development, training, collections, packaging, storage, international distributions and franchise administration centre for the Malaysia Kitchen programme,” the audit notes.

 
However, the idea was scrapped in July 2009 and the shoplot was left empty, albeit well-maintained, until it was audited in August 2011.

According to MyFranchise, the shoplot was rented out in April 2012 and the Malaysia Kitchen programme as a whole was transferred to the International Trade and Industry Ministry.

 Indah Water, RapidKL deep in the red...

Two major government-owned companies - Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) Sdn Bhd and RapidKL Sdn Bhd - have posted major losses, according to the Auditor-General's Report 2011.

IWK recorded accumulated losses of RM888.81 million as at 2010, while RapidKL had incurred accumulated losses totalling RM293.82 million.

According to the audit team, IWK performed its sewerage treatment role well, but depended too much on government subsidies while struggling to put a lid on its soaring operating costs.

"Based on the audited financial statement, IWK recorded an increase in revenue amounting to RM156.03 million (27.5 percent increase) in 2009, but the revenue decreased in 2010 by RM105.34 million (a 14.6 percent drop).

"This was caused by a reduction in government subsidy and a reduction in revenue from charges for domestic and commercial sanitation services," the audit report states.

IWK in its reply to the Auditor-General's Department said the solution to overcome this was to raise the tariff for raw sewerage treatment relative to water usage, as outlined in its business plan in 2009.

Not fully compliant

The audit report quotes a United Nations study stating that 96 percent of the population enjoyed access to sanitation services, with 93 percent of the population having "good" services.

However, the report also notes that IWK records showed that in 2011, of the 5,714 treatment facilities tested, 7.5 percent did not fulfil the government-stipulated effluent standards.

A separate study by the Department of Environment between 2008 and 2011 showed that of the 844 plants tested, 6.3 percent did not fulfil the stipulated effluent standards.

In closing, the audit report suggests that, among others, the Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry, Finance Ministry and the National Water Services Commission (Span) consider IWK's proposal to raise the tariff.

Finance Ministry Inc took full control of IWK in 2000. It controls all sanitation services in the country except in Sabah, Sarawak, Kelantan and Johor.

RapidKL seeks fare increase

As for RapidKL, the audit report notes that it recorded an accumulated loss of RM293.82 million as of 2010, while recording a profit of RM54.57 million in 2009.

The report notes that the profit RapidKL recorded was due to the RM112.23 million it received under the 2009 economic stimulus package.

In a reply to the audit team, RapidKL said the losses were the result of rising salaries for staff and maintenance costs, while fares had stagnated since 2005.

RapidKL added that it would be increasingly difficult to keep up with operational costs unless fares were raised in the near future, thus requiring more assistance from the federal government.

According to a chart on RapidKL's financial performance, there was a five-fold increase in administrative costs, from RM14.39 million in 2009 to RM75.07 million in 2010.

This particular issue was not discussed by the audit team.

Buses not fully utilised


The audit team also notes that in 2011, only 75.2 percent of RapidKL's 939-strong fleet was operational.

"The percentage of buses in operation is not 100 percent. Among others, this was caused by a lack of bus drivers.

"This can affect the level of bus services and passengers will need to wait longer in between buses," reads the report.

Of the entire fleet, four models - Dong Feng 120, Dong Feng 75, Iveco and King Long Suzhou - were particularly prone to maintenance work and less than 50 percent of 340 coaches involved were usable as of June 2011.

The audit found that there is no scheduled maintenance (of buses). Maintenance is only performed whenever needed.

The audit team warns that RapidKL runs a risk of lacking sufficient numbers of buses to stand in for buses that breakdown while servicing routes.

"RapidKL should improve its repair and maintenance process to ensure that the number of operational buses are increased," the report states.

source : malaysiakini  

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