Malaysians Say The Darndest Things!

WSFFM: Controversy, Or A Non-Issue?

April 16, 2008

The WSFFM, or Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation Malaysia has come under some flak today by TheSun’s investigative journalist, R. Nadeswaran. In an examination of the annual report for the WSFFM, Nadeswaran (or sometimes known as Citizen Nades) has discovered that out of the RM11 million+ funding received, 30% of this was spent on seemingly frivolous items that had nothing to do with sports.

But before anyone argues that this foundation is a non-governmental organisation and the media has no right to question how it spends money, let it be said that this foundation received more than RM11 million in taxpayers’ funds. Every right-thinking Malaysian must ensure that it is spent prudently and for the benefit of the rakyat and not on self-seeking or syiok sendiri projects.

If meals, accommodation and entertainment accounted for 30% of the expenditure, then something is wrong with the system and no one cared for a basic principle called prudence.

Besides, there’s an expenditure for shirts and uniform. Why should Joe Public pay for these people to strut around in tailor-made shirts? Please tell us why they deserve to be given even clothes! Then there’re payments totalling RM250,000 as “gifts and condolences”. What the heck is this? Why is taxpayers’ money being used to buy such expensive gifts and messages of condolences?

Read the full article here: Song and dance while others suffer

Following this exposé, the public does expect the WSFFM to clarify or give more details on how the money for meals, accomodation and entertainment were spent. One particular reason for such high expenses could be because the WSFFM hosted the 2nd National Women’s Games in Klang Valley last year, which would explain the meals and accomodation expenses for the 2,500 participants. However, since the patron for WSFFM is no other than Azalina Othman, who has a track-record of not having due respect for public funds (remember Brickendonbury’s High Performance Training Center?), one has to be careful not to just take the explanation of the 2nd National Women’s Games at face value.

Having read the WSFFM website, the organization does have a noble goal, which is to empower women through sports, and “providing a platform whereby budding talents and sporting heroines were discovered through competition”. I would say a fair ROI would have been achieved if we managed to uncover a few hidden talents, so if the WSFFM could name at least 5 sportswomen that they uncovered that are potential world (or even SEA Games)-beaters, then I would have to concede that the 30% was money well spent.

Otherwise, I absolutely agree with Citizen Nades when he says, “spending millions of taxpayers’ money on entertainment and food is unforgivable and those responsible should be named and shamed.”

Other views from the blogosphere:
And It Broke Lulu’s Heart Then When The Youth And Sports Ministry Had “No Funds” To Send The Participants for The Special Olympics

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