Koperasi Jayadiri Malaysia Berhad (Kojadi) chairman Datuk Ng Peng Hay appears to have been thrown under the bus by the other board members of the MCA co-operative.
Chairman claims:
- Board decided for him to meet with MACC over RM15 million from Yayasan 1MDB
- Wee Ka Siong ordered Kojadi board to stop his meeting with MACC
- Wee interfered in day-to-day running of Kojadi
Directors claim:
- RM15 million nothing to do with Najib
- Board did not make any resolution for chairman to meet MACC officials
- Wee had in no way interfered with running of Kojadi
In defence of their party president, Kojadi board members denied Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong attempted to block Ng’s meeting with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
The board members also denied that the RM15 million grant Kojadi received from Yayasan 1MDB in 2012 as highlighted by Ng had anything to do with embattled former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, several news outlets reported today.
Kojadi’s board members further said they never decided for Ng to meet MACC over the RM15 million, adding that the decision taken on Thursday was only for further correspondence with the agency and for the matter to be discussed with the party leadership.
“The decision made by the board yesterday was to: one, write in again to MACC to follow up on the earlier correspondence; and two, to further discuss it with the MCA leadership.
“Therefore, it is simply false for Ng Peng Hay to say that the Board had directed him to meet with MACC today,” the 11 board directors who signed the statement last night were quoted saying by local daily The Star.
The 11 board directors who signed the statement were vice-chairman Hoo Seong Chang, Ng Fook Heng (treasurer), Sri Chow Liong (assistant secretary), Lim Chin Hai (assistant treasurer) and directors Koh Nai Kwong, Ooi Saw Choo, Woon Ching Fatt, Lim Si Cheng, Goh Ah Ling, Toh Chin Yaw and Loke Sim Fatt.
“Kojadi has, and shall continue to uphold the principle of professional management. Whether it is in the past, present, or future, let it be known that the entire Board abide by a strict code of professionalism, transparency, integrity and lawful operating practices.
“The fact that Kojadi has established itself as one of the most successful cooperatives in the nation is evidence enough,” they added.
The directors of the public-listed Kojadi further asserted that the MCA president’s wish to hold a discussion with the board “complies with the outcome of the board meeting”.
The Star also quoted the Kojadi directors as saying that the cooperative had already early this year wrote to MACC to notify details of its RM15 million grant from Yayasan 1MDB in 2012 for a micro-credit scheme for youths and updates on the scheme.
“In response, MACC had also written back indicating that all matters (regarding) 1MDB are still undergoing investigation.
“The RM15 million grant received by Kojadi in 2012 to set up the micro-credit scheme for youth came from Yayasan 1MDB, which has nothing to do with Razak’s [sic] accounts. Thus, they should not be lumped together.”
Free Malaysia Today (FMT) also quoted the directors as saying that the board did not make any resolution for the Kojadi chairman to meet MACC officials.
They reportedly said that Wee had written to express his intention of a meeting next week but had “in no way interfered with the day-to-day running of Kojadi”.
FMT reported Ng was stunned that his colleagues on the board had issued a statement without his knowledge as the Kojadi chairman, and claiming to have WhatsApp messages with Wee regarding the latter’s alleged comments to Kojadi directors.
Ng told FMT that the directors “can deny everything but all the minutes of yesterday’s meeting spell out clearly what we decided. It’s all in black and white.”
Yesterday, Ng told Malaysiakini that he had proposed in an emergency Kojadi board meeting for the RM15 million to be returned and that the board had then decided for him to meet with the MACC to clarify Kojadi’s position on the matter.
He was reported claiming that Wee had ordered the Kojadi board to stop his meeting with MACC and called a party leadership meeting next week.
Ng added that he would quit MCA after alleging Wee of “interference” in the day-to-day running of Kojadi.
Ng also reportedly said yesterday that he would hold another emergency board meeting to re-table his proposal to return the RM15 million sum.