Oh, The Mega Iskandar

Iskandar Lodges Police Report Alleging Fraudulent Practices By Former Management Members

JOHOR BARU: Iskandar Investment Bhd (IIB) has lodged a police report yesterday against certain former members of its senior management team alleging fraudulent practices. Reliable sources say IIB's former president/chief executive officer Arlida Ariff is among those named in the report.
A press statement by IIB said its board had “unanimously resolved to take every initiative within its authority, to hold the persons involved accountable”.
The board said there had been a need to investigate certain issues thoroughly and to initiate its intended action on an informed and factual basis.

Arlida Ariff

“Some of those implicated had resigned in this period, thus pre-empting the said inquiries,” said the statement.
Nevertheless, the board believes the matter will receive the appropriate attention and follow-up by the authorities and IIB will support them fully in seeking a thorough and just conclusion.
IIB also confirmed that a comprehensive process of review, investigation and inquiry with the involvement of external auditors Ernst & Young has recently been concluded.
Ernst & Young highlighted the need to strengthen IIB's key controls in a number of respects and the recommendations would be carried through in a responsible and measurable manner, IIB said.
Johor police chief Datuk Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff could not be reached to confirm on the police report made by IIB.
Arlida did not respond to phone calls and emails from StarBiz.
It had been earlier reported that Arlida's exit were linked to reports of irregularities in the awarding of infrastructure contracts during her watch and that an internal audit was initiated to look into the matter.
Arlida was first appointed as head honcho of IIB, the company responsible for bringing investments into Johor's Iskandar Malaysia, in 2007.
She was made executive director on July 2, 2007, and on Jan 1, 2008, she became the president and CEO.
Khazanah Nasional Bhd formed IIB, a 60% subsidiary, as a catalyst investor focusing on greenfield developments in the Iskandar project.
The Employees Provident Fund and Kumpulan Prasarana Rakyat Johor each has a 20% stake in IIB.
Arlida, who is an engineer by training, spent 15 years with the KLCC Group prior to IIB and among noteworthy projects that Arlida was involved with at KLCC were the Petronas Twin Towers, Maxis and ExxonMobil Tower, Mandarin Oriental Hotel and the KLCC Park.
Under her leadership, IIB attracted investments in projects such as the RM300mil Newcastle University Medical Faculty (due for opening this year) and the RM715mil Legoland Theme Park (to open in 2012).
IIB appointed its new president/CEO Datuk Syed Mohamed Syed Ibrahim on Nov 1 last year when Khazanah decided not to extend Arlida's contract, which ended on Dec 31.
Syed Mohamed was DRB-HICOM Bhd property and infrastructure group director.

Source: The Star - Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Anything Left For Earning An Honest Living?

I did not believe Kak Asmah when she said, her husband has to work 12 hours a day, 7 days a week to bring home RM1,000.

Even then, one thousand is not sufficient for the family of 6 with the forever rising cost of basic necessities. She supplemented the security guard's salary with looking after neighbours' children and sewing at home.

But my ex-neighbour, the husband, once a security guard with a bank, agree with the statement, and with a black chapter in the course of his job.

After clocking out on that particular payday few years ago, he withdrew his salary but the amount turned his face, pale - Balance RM2.00.
He checked with the bank that he guarded and it was confirmed his salary of RM600 per month had been withdrawn just hours earlier. There's NO OTHER WAYS to check the culprit although it was rumoured that it was an insider's job.

Although this happened a few years ago and he is now a taxi-driver, but looking back how the family went through the horror and harrowing period, it is still clear in my mind.
His experience shuddered me seeing another security guard, who used to pass by my house when he was staying nearby then, on his way to work riding his motorbike, with an arm slinging on his right shoulder.

Often I told My Husband, should... one fine day, he is being pushed while riding his motorbike and the bad intention culprit take away the loaded arm from him, I cannot imagine what the next episode will unfold.
For the meagre salary of less than RM1,000 salary per month, I always ask myself if his life worth risking while travelling on the main road with the arm, slinging on his shoulder, attracting the eyes many road users.

As I read what had been by The Star for the past 2 days, I can only sigh, knowingly that it is not going to be any time sooner when?????? the effort of all security guards guarding premises will be acknowledged and justly salaried.

******

The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) is against the Government's postponement of the minimum new salary scheme of an estimated 150,000 security guards nationwide salary which was supposed to be effective July.

The increase of 67% to 75% from their current salaries will see them getting the take-home pay of between RM1,100 and RM1,450 a month, including overtime pay and allowances.
On April 22, the ministry announced it would implement the Wage Regulations Order (Le­­gal Minimum Wages for Private Security Guards) 2010 from July 1, despite calls from the industry to allow the companies concerned to prepare for it.

On Sunday, June 13, Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subrama­niam announced that the Cabinet had decided to delay the implementation of the minimum wage increase following a request by Malaysian Security Services Association (SSAM), but no time frame was given.
The scheme is temporarily shelved. The association needed more time to update and streamline their operations. The new salaries would have implications on existing contracts. The association feels that its implementation by next month will have an adverse effect on such businesses. The requested delay will allow the companies involved to update their operations and be better prepared for it.
It did not state when the pay increase would be implemented but it was reported last month that the association had asked the Government to delay its implementation by two months.

The Govern­ment’s announcement to delay the raise in the minimum wage has sparked a blame game between stakeholders in the provision of private security services.

The Security Guards Union (SGU) is blaming the Malaysian Security Services Association (SSAM) for requesting the Govern­ment to delay the July 1 implementation date of the salary rise.
SGU acting secretary-general M. Gnanasegaran said the SSAM should set a deadline for the pay rise to take place because it had been delayed several times.

“Most guards work 12 hours a day, 26 days a month. They need the salary increase for their family’s survival,” he said.
He added that some guards were not getting basic benefits such as insurance and overtime.

The SSAM on the other hand is blaming the Government, saying they could not increase salaries unless the value of their government contracts was increased; failing which they risked closing shop as more than 70% of its 400 members relied on government contracts.

SSAM president Datuk Shaheen Mirza Habib said: “We are not against the salary increase, but want it to be done simultaneously and together with the increase in contract value.”
“How are we going to pay the guards if the salaries are increased but the contract value is not?”

The annual general meeting on July 26 will discuss setting new contract rates at possibly around RM7 to RM7.50 per hour from the current contract rate at about RM4 to RM5 per hour, of which 60% to 65% goes to the guards. Their profit margin is 6% to 7%.

He disclosed that security guards earned a basic salary of between RM300 and RM500, but took home between RM800 and RM1,000.and the remainder covers administrative costs.

The Human Resource Minister, having spent 7 years studying all the views and recommendation before announcing his decision to implement a minimum wage, should not make a U-turn to allow employers to continue to exploit their workers with a meager wage of RM300 to RM400 a month, as was said by the MTUC secretary-general G.Rajasekaran said in a statement on Monday.

With all dilly-dallying and ding-donging, must the public pay for the already toooooo long delay?

Tuesday June 15, 2010

Off-duty guard turns snatch thief

KOTA KINABALU: An off-duty security guard became a snatch thief when he grabbed RM1,000 from a woman minutes after she withdrew the money from an automated teller machine.
However, three policemen on beat duty nabbed the 29-year-old guard after the woman screamed for help.
Penampang district police chief Deputy Supt Madang Usat said the 37-year-woman had just walked away from the ATM at about 3.30pm yesterday when the guard approached the victim from behind, snatching the money. He fled towards a nearby funfair.
“My men detained him after a 200m chase an d recovered the money,” he said.
He added that they were also checking to see if the suspect was involved in other snatch theft incidents. — Bernama