MB Terengganu ‘kantoi’ guna istana untuk lawatan ke Antartika The Malaysian Insider

Usaha Menteri Besar Terengganu, Datuk Seri Ahmad Said (gambar) menggunakan nama istana bagi lawatan ke Antartika terbocor apabila Yayasan Diraja Sultan Mizan (YDSM) menafikan penglibatan mereka dalam ekspedisi berkenaan.

Ahmad Said dituntut segera membuat permohonan maaf kepada Tuanku Sultan Mizan atas tindakan berkenaan.

"Kita menuntut Ahmad Said memohon maaf kepada YDSM dan menyebutkan siapakah sebenarnya yang menganjurkan lawatan beliau itu dan berapa kos sebenar lawatan itu," kata Adun Batu Burok, Dr Syed Azman Ahmad Nawawi.

YDSM pada Ahad menafikan mereka menjadi penganjur kepada lawatan Ahmad Said ke Antartika.

"Lawatan itu bukan anjuran YDSM dan ia tiada kaitan dengan program yayasan," kata Setiausaha Kerja YDSM, Mohd Azrul Ismail dalam satu kenyataan.

Pejabat Menteri Besar Terengganu mengumumkan lawatan 15 hari pada 16 Januari lalu, atas anjuran Kementerian Sains, Teknologi dan Inovasi dengan kerjasama YDSM.

Kenyataan itu turut menyebut lawatan kerja berkenaan bertujuan membantu kerajaan dalam menubuhkan pusat kajian bersama Instituto Antarctico Chileno.

“Lawatan ini membantu Malaysia dalam kajian perubahan iklim yang sejak akhir-akhir ini menjadi semakin tidak menentu.

“Lawatan eksplorasi saintifik ini merupakan lawatan susulan Sultan Terengganu, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin ke Antartika pada Oktober 2011 dalam usaha melihat lebih banyak universiti tempatan terlibat dalam kajian di sana,” kata kenyataan itu.

Timbalan Pesuruhjaya PAS Terengganu, Yahaya Ali, berkata isu penganjur bukan perkara pokok kerana lawatan ke Antartika itu tidak membawa pulangan.

"Ketika kita ajak rakyat berjimat, menteri besar pula dilihat mahu menghabiskan duit tanpa faedah. Apa faedah rakyat Terengganu terima daripada lawatan ke Artartika. Kita bukan hadapi salji, yang kita hadapi adalah banjir," kata Yahaya kepada The Malaysia Insider.

Ahli Parlimen Kuala Nerus, Datuk Dr Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali, berkata dua perkara memerlukan penjelasan daripada kerajaan negeri Terenganu khususnya menteri besar iaitu amanah dan  bercakap benar yang sepatutnya menjadi etika setiap pentadbir dan pemerintah.

“Penggunaan dana milik rakyat untuk suatu aktiviti yang dipertikaikan keperluan dan kemunasabahannya mengundang persoalan amanah kerajaan negeri dalam menguruskan harta milik awam,” katanya.

Sebelum ini, DAP turut mempertikaikan lawatan kerja Ahmad Said dengan menyifatkan ia sebagai satu “pembaziran besar” yang tidak bertepatan dengan keadaan rakyat yang sering diingatkan untuk “mengikat perut”.

Setiausaha Publisiti Kebangsaan DAP, Tony Pua mempersoalkan rasional di sebalik lawatan 15 hari yang akan diketuai oleh Ahmad Said itu.

“Bagaimana lawatan 15 hari menggunakan kapal persiaran mewah memberi faedah kepada Malaysia? Jika saintis Malaysia terlibat dalam kajian perubahan iklim, mereka boleh mengkaji kesan pembalakan yang berlaku di Malaysia.

“Mengapa kita perlu membelanjakan wang pembayar cukai kepada kajian yang tidak membawa cabaran kompetitif,” katanya.

Syed Azman berkata, bukan sekadar lawatan kerja ke Antartika itu mengejutkan, penafian penglibatan YDSN ini lagi mengejutkan rakyat.

"Ini satu pembohongan kepada seluruh rakyat," katanya kepada The Malaysian Insider.

Sehubungan itu, katanya, beliau yakin rakyat Terengganu tidak akan membiarkan pembohongan sebegini didiamkan begitu saja.

"Saya yakin rakyat, tanpa mengira latar belakang politik, tidak akan membiarkan perkara ini begitu saja," kata Syed Azman yang juga AJK PAS Pusat itu.

Kedudukan Ahmad Said sentiasa tidak stabil sejak mula dilantik sebagai menteri besar selepas pilihan raya umum 2008 lalu.

Ini kerana, kepimpinan Umno memilih Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh untuk meneruskan jawatannya sebagai menteri besar namun pihak istana tidak mahukannya.

Selepas beberapa sesi rundingan, akhirnya Ahmad Said yang bersetuju dilantik menjadi menteri besar dalam keadaan menerima bantahan daripada Umno sendiri sehingga pihak istana digelar sebagai "natang" iaitu istilah untuk binatang mengikut loghat Terengganu.

Apabila Tuanku Sultan Mizan dilantik sebagai Yang Dipertuan Agung, satu Dewan Pangkuan Di Raja Terengganu (DPDRT) dibentuk bagi menggantikan baginda kerana anakanda baginda masih terlalu muda untuk menjadi pemangku sultan.

Sehubungan itu, Ahmad Said terpaksa bertanggungjawab bukan kepada seorang raja bahkan sembilan anggota DPDRT dalam mentadbir Terengganu.

Ia menimbulkan pelbagai persepsi kerana banyak projek dan kawasan balak serta lombong  terlepas daripada tangan rakyat biasa kepada pihak tertentu.

Selepas pilihan raya umum 5 Mei lalu, kedudukan Ahmad Said semakin tidak stabil berikutan PR hanya kurang dua kerusi untuk menyamai kerusi BN.

Dalam pilihan raya itu, PAS mendapat 14 kerusi manakala PKR mendapat satu kerusi manakala BN pula menguasai majoriti 17 kerusi. - 28 Januari, 2014.

Terengganu MB must apologise for his ‘Antartica lie’, says PAS lawmaker

Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Said has been told to apologise to the state royalty for falsely claiming that his upcoming Antartica trip is sponsored by the Yayasan Diraja Sultan Mizan (YDSM).

Batu Burok assemblyman Syed Azman Ahmad Nawawi (pic) said the MB should apologise immediately to the YDSM and also to the Terengganu's Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin for using his name.

"We demand that he (Ahmad) apologise to YDSM and reveal who is actually the organiser or his trip and how much it is costing us," Dr Syed Azman said.

Yesterday, YDSM shot down Ahmad's claims and denied that it had organised the trip.

"The trip was not organised by us and has nothing to do with the foundation's programmes," said its working secretary, Mohd Azrul Ismail, in a statement.

On January 16, the MB's office announced the Antartica trip claiming that it was organised by the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry through the initiative of YDSM.

It said the working visit was aimed at paving the way to assisting the government to set up a research station there for joint research with the Instituto Antarctico Chileno.

"The visit is initiated to enable Malaysia to contribute to research on climate change which has become increasingly unpredictable.

"This scientific exploration visit is a follow-up to the visit by the Sultan of Terengganu to Antarctica in October 2011, in wanting to see more local universities involved in research in the ice-covered region," the MB’s office said in a statement.

Opposition leaders were outraged at the MB's trip, calling it "blatant extravagance" after the rising cost of living had caused the people to tighten their belts.

"Why should we be spending any taxpayers’ money at all to 'research' an area in which we have no competitive advantage?" DAP's Tony Pua had asked.

Azman had previously called on the MB to cancel his trip and focus on helping the poor in the state.

Terengganu deputy PAS commissioner Yahaya Ali said the issue of who is the organiser is not important but the the trip should be cancelled as it did not bring any benefit.

"At a time when we are asking the people to tighten their belts, the MB is seen as wanting to spend money without any good.

"What will the people of Terengganu get from his trip to the Antartica? It's not like we have snow here. What we have are floods," he told The Malaysian Insider.

Azman said not only was the Antartica trip shocking but the YDSM's denial of being involved was even more surprising.

"It was a blatant lie to the people," he told The Malaysian Insider.

He said he was confident that the people of Terengganu will not sit back and let the MB's lie just slide.

"I am sure the people, without looking at political affiliations, will not let this go just like that," Azman, who is also in the PAS central committee said.

Ahmad Said's position had not been stable since he was elected as Menteri Besar after the 2008 general election.

This was because the Umno leadership had initially chosen Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh to take the position but the suggestion was shot down by the palace.

Said was finally installed as the MB after several negotiations with the palace.

When Tuanku Sultan Mizan was appointed as King, a Dewan Pangkuan DiRaja Terengganu (DPDRT) was formed to replace him in the state as his son was too young to be acting Sultan.

Following that, Said was accountable not only to one ruler but nine members of the DPDRT in the state administration.

This had created the perception that many projects, timber and mining areas "escaped" from the people's hands to certain parties.

After the 2013 general election, Ahmad Said's position became even weaker as the state opposition only had two less seats than the ruling Barisan Nasional.

Pakatan Rakyat obtained 15 seats while BN got 17 seats. – January 28, 2014.