Australia trip just a 'suggestion', says Selangor state firm

A Selangor state-owned company has defended its plan to hold a board meeting in Australia, saying the trip was not only for that purpose but also part of a "technical delegation" to study the real estate sector.

"Any report that attempts to depict KHSB's overseas trip as solely for a board meeting is clearly a malicious slander and defies all logic," said Kumpulan Hartanah Selangor Berhad (KHSB), responding to a recent report by MalaysiaNow, which named two state-owned companies planning to fly their top executives and board members to a four-day retreat in Perth, Australia, which Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari is also attending.

KHSB said the trip was only a "suggestion" and "is yet to be approved by the KHSB board".

"If confirmed, it will be part of a technical delegation to fulfil its goals in the housing and property development, including the latest innovations that are growing rapidly in the real estate industry," it added.

On Monday,  MalaysiaNow reported that Amirudin will be joining the overseas trip together with the board members of KHSB and Central Spectrum (M) Sdn Bhd, both owned by the Selangor government, a departure from the previous practice of holding board meetings in the country.

According to the itinerary seen by MalaysiaNow, the participants will fly on two separate Malaysia Airlines flights on Aug 23.

Members of the secretariat will depart in the morning, while the "VIPs, board members and management team" will take another flight in the evening.

Both organisations will hold their board meetings separately on the first day.

Nothing is planned for the second day, a Sunday, except for a dinner to be attended by Amirudin and senior officials from Selangor.

The following day, participants will be invited to a "site visit" as part of a "proposed technical visit" before visiting Fremantle, a tourist attraction in Western Australia.

A check of both organisations' websites shows that the boards and management teams consist of at least 25 people, excluding Amirudin and the trip's secretariat.

Among them are Pakatan Harapan assemblymen Rajiv Rishyakaran (DAP) and Azmizam Zaman Huri (PKR), Amirudin's private secretary Mohd Hidayat Mohd Sauffi and PKR politicians Saipolyazan Mat Yusop, Kamarul Baharin Abbas and Yahya Mat Sahri.

KHSB today criticised MalaysiaNow for not providing an "accurate picture", adding that it "appears to be out to spread lies".

"KHSB, as a subsidiary of the Selangor state government, will always conduct itself in a professional manner and be committed to the principles of transparency and integrity, in addition to supporting best corporate governance practices at all levels of its operations.

"At the same time, we hope that the media will act professionally and ethically by conducting cross-checks before publishing news," it added.