SEA Games: Adibah opens can of worms over unpaid services

UPDATE 3.47pm: Malaysia Organising Committee (Masoc) issues statement regarding unpaid services at 29th Kuala Lumpur SEA Games. Statement was sent via Rakan-Rakan Media@OCM WhatsApp group by its media executive officer Fahmi Omar.

KENYATAAN MASOC

Jawatankuasa Pengelola Malaysia (MASOC) Kuala Lumpur 2017 melahirkan rasa dukacita berhubung dakwaan beberapa artis dan pihak tertentu yang masih belum menerima sebarang pembayaran atas khidmat mereka pada temasya Sukan SEA ke-29 dan Sukan Para ASEAN ke-9 baru-baru ini.

Untuk makluman, pihak MASOC telahpun melunaskan pembayaran lebih 70% daripada nilai kontrak syarikat yang dilantik menerusi proses tender Kementerian Belia dan Sukan untuk mengendalikan upacara perasmian dan penutupan kedua-dua temasya berkenaan pada 28 Ogos lalu.

Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif Sekretariat Kuala Lumpur 2017, Dato’ Seri Zolkples Embong berkata, MASOC telah menetapkan sasaran untuk melunaskan semua pembayaran kepada pihak yang telah dilantik bagi menjayakan kedua-dua temasya berkenaan selewat-lewatnya sehingga hujung November ini.

“Pada mesyuarat MASOC bersama Menteri Belia dan Sukan pada 23 Oktober lalu, YB Khairy Jamaluddin telah memberikan arahan agar MASOC mempercepatkan segala proses pembayaran mengambil kira peraturan-peraturan kewangan yang berkuatkuasa terhadap semua syarikat yang telah dilantik memberikan perkhidmatan mereka pada Kuala Lumpur 2017.

“MASOC kini bekerjasama dengan Kementerian Kewangan untuk mempercepatkan proses pembayaran berkenaan dengan sasaran kita dapat melunaskan semua bayaran itu sebelum akhir November ini,” katanya.

Dato’ Seri Zolkples berkata, terdapat dua jenis perolehan untuk Kuala Lumpur 2017 iaitu yang dibuat oleh Sekretariat MASOC sendiri selain daripada yang disempurnakan oleh 16 jawatankuasa kecil di bawah MASOC.

“Perolehan yang dilakukan oleh 16 jawatankuasa kecil MASOC akan dibayar sekiranya setiap jawatankuasa berkenaan telah mengemukakan permohonan pembayaran yang lengkap mengikut prosedur yang ditetapkan oleh Jawatankuasa Kewangan Kuala Lumpur 2017.

“Segala perolehan yang dibuat oleh Sekretariat kebanyakannya sudahpun mendapat bayaran awal antara 70 hingga 90 peratus daripada nilai kontrak dan seharusnya syarikat atau agensi berkenaan dapat melunaskan bayaran kepada pihak ketiga yang telah memberikan perkhidmatan mereka. 

“Bagaimanapun semua permohonan pembayaran yang dilakukan perlu melalui proses dokumentasi yang lengkap dan teratur mengikut peraturan Perbendaharaan yang ditetapkan,” katanya.

Berhubung rungutan sukarelawan yang dikatakan masih belum menerima bayaran elaun mereka, hampir kesemua daripada mereka yang telah mengemukakan tuntutan dan menepati prosedur yang ditetapkan, telahpun dibayar oleh MASOC.

“Bagaimanapun ada juga yang masih belum dibayar terutama atas sebab-sebab teknikal seperti kesalahan nombor akaun bank dan kesilapan butiran peribadi namun jumlah aduan semakin berkurang. MASOC telah menetapkan setiap aduan berhubung kelewatan pembayaran sukarelawan ini diselesaikan dalam tempoh lapan hari bekerja,” katanya.

Sesiapa yang mempunyai sebarang pertanyaan berhubung pembayaran atas khidmat yang telah dilakukan boleh menghubungi helpdesk@kualalumpur2017.com.my bagi memastikan semua pembayaran berhubung pengelolaan Kuala Lumpur 2017 berjalan lancar.

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ORIGINAL POST

The above was posted by celebrity Adibah Noor Mohd Omar on her Facebook page on Saturday.

As the singer and actress rightfully said, that posting of hers "opened a can of worms".

Disgruntled singer Zainal Abidin was quoted by Malaysiakini as saying:

“It’s not just ministers who want a life of luxury. We artistes also want a good life.” 

Zainal Abidin has given the "company in charge of the Kuala Lumpur Sea Games 2017 closing ceremony one week to pay him the other half of his bill for performing at the event." Read full report here.

Free Malaysia Today, had in its report, added:

Meanwhile, the Malaysian SEA Games organising committee (Masoc) told the portal that the company in charge of payroll had been appointed through a tender by the youth and sports ministry.

“So, whether an artiste has been paid or not, that is the company’s business. The artistes involved should refer to them,” a Masoc media officer told the news portal.

“As of now, Masoc has paid out on more than 50% of the contracts for the opening and closing ceremonies on behalf of the government.”

Following many more angry tweets and Facebook postings by others who were not paid, the Youth and Sports Ministry reached out to Adibah.

The end?

Far from it.

Questions:

1. Why did it take so long for those involved to be paid?

2. Were those involved informed payment would be delayed (eg. some companies have a policy of issuing payment 4-6 weeks after work is completed) ?

3. Why must a celebrity write about this only for some form of action to be taken? 

4. Who was responsible for issuing the payments? Who was tasked to do the payroll, as revealed in by the Masoc person quoted in the Free Malaysia Today report?

5. Is it true two ministries - Youth and Sports and Communications and Multimedia - were involved in the "unique" closing ceremony which held on eve of Merdeka?

6. When will the organising committee issue the post-Games report and financial statement of the 29th SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur?

That aside, thank you Adibah. All it took was one Facebook posting to raise plenty of eyebrows (and questions). 

Many others in your position would have "buat dek" so that they will be in the good books of certain individuals.

I'm unsure if the tweets below are related to the subject above, but what Adibah and my former colleague said wrap up this posting well.

 P/S: Adibah, hope to meet up over coffee at Fougasse Boulangerie & Patisserie in Pandan Indah soon.