Selangor state firms cancel 'technical delegation' to Australia after news report

A plan by two Selangor state-owned companies to fly their directors and top executives to Perth, Australia, for a four-day "retreat", where they were to hold their board meetings, has been cancelled.

Late last month, MalaysiaNow reported that the trip by Kumpulan Hartanah Selangor Berhad (KHSB) and Central Spectrum (M) Sdn Bhd was to be accompanied by Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari, a departure from the previous practice of holding board meetings within the country.

However, following public outcry and criticism from social media users over the plan, KHSB stated that the trip was only a "suggestion" and "yet to be approved by the KHSB board".

This was followed by Amirudin denying any knowledge of the matter.

When contacted, a spokesman for Amirudin even accused MalaysiaNow of spreading fake news.

"The news is false," said Jay Jay Clement Dennis.

"How can someone leave (for Perth) if the report is not true?"

KHSB had previously defended its plan to hold a board meeting in Australia, saying it was not just for that purpose but also as part of a "technical delegation" to study the property 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," it said.

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

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

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

Nothing was 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 were to undertake a "site visit" as part of a "proposed technical visit" before visiting Fremantle, a tourist attraction in Western Australia.

Some of the senior executives and board members of KHSB and Central Spectrum include Pakatan Harapan (PH) politicians.

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 PH 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.

Last week, an all-expense paid "retreat" to Bali for all staff of a government-linked company under the Prime Minister's Office was cancelled, two weeks after MalaysiaNow revealed details of the plan.

Pelaburan Hartanah Berhad (PHB) had similarly claimed that the trip was still in the proposal stage and had yet to be approved by the board.

This was despite emails to staff informing indicating the trip had already been finalised, and telling them to get their passports and belongings ready.

"This retreat is PHB's way of showing appreciation for your hard work and dedication that have helped PHB excel in its business," reads an email sent to staff in June sighted by MalaysiaNow.

"Pack your comfort wear, sunscreen, and a sense of adventure!"

PHB is one of more than 40 public-funded entities under the wing of the PMO. It is responsible for managing more than 20 assets worth about RM10 billion.

In June, officers from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission visited PHB's offices in Shah Alam and spent three hours there as part of an investigation into complaints of financial mismanagement. Since then, there has been no new information.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim himself is the chairman of PHB's board of trustees.

In the 2024 budget, he announced that PHB would be placed under Yayasan Pelaburan Bumiputra (YPB), another Bumiputera powerhouse under the PMO.