theSun | MONDAY JANUARY 19 2009 7

news without borders

Pest control link

bugs PKNS boss
by Terence Fernandez
newsdesk@thesundaily.com

PETALING JAYA: One was president of the

Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ), the
other, managing director of a pest control
consortium. The plan was to get all owners of
business premises in the municipality to obtain
compulsory fumigation services only from the
consortium (comprising selected pest control
companies) before their annual business licence
could be renewed.
The scheme became front page news over
two years ago because some companies in
the consortium were not registered with the
Pesticides Board. Following protests from
ratepayers, the pest control fraternity and the
business community, the system was amended
to be all-inclusive.
Today, (then) MPSJ president Datuk Mohd
Arif Abdul Rahman is state financial officer while
Konsortium SJ Pest Control Sdn Bhd director
Othman Omar, 49, was appointed general man-
ager of the Selangor Development Corporation
(PKNS) on Feb 1.
It is learnt that Mohd Arif and State Secretary
Datuk Ramli Mahmud were on the selection
committee which decided on Othman – one of
two candidates who were presented to execu-
tive councillors Dr Hassan Ali, Yaakob Sapari and
Teresa Kok for endorsement.
Kok, when contacted, said Mentri Besar Tan
Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim opted for the younger
Othman over the 57-year-old other candidate.
She said none of the executive councillors
were aware of his past link to the MPSJ pest con-
trol controversy. “I certainly would have brought
it up had I known,” Kok said.
Othman replaces Datin Paduka Low Siew Moi,
whose three-month acting stint at the helm of
PKNS was shadowed by controversy due to her
ethnicity. It is a convention that the head of PKNS
must be a bumiputra.
The state government had defended her
appointment saying it was temporary until a
suitable bumiputra replacement could be found
for Datuk Harun Salim who retired in October.
On Dec 23, Abdul Khalid announced Othman’s
appointment.
At a press conference, Othman avoided ques-
tions on his business interests, saying he was
bound by a confidentiality agreement.
An online search with the Companies Com-
mission of Malaysia on Jan 13 showed that
Othman still owns 70,000 shares in Konsortium
SJ Pest Control. The other 30,000 are held by
Abdul Moeen Abdul Wahid.
Registered as Matrik Varia Sdn Bhd on Dec 22,
2005, the company was renamed Konsortium SJ
Pest Control on May 22, 2006 – around the same
time MPSJ announced its pest control ruling
requiring business premises to engage compa-
nies under the consortium for RM600.
Konsortium SJ Pest Control comprised six
companies which were given a 20-year conces-
Othman
sion. They were Koswasta Asia Pest Control Sdn
Bhd, Damai Pest Control Sdn Bhd, Vetga (M) Sdn
Bhd, Denma Enterprise Sdn Bhd, Inspirasi Asia
Sdn Bhd and Suria Sakti Resources. Some had
RM2 paid-up capital and were set up around the
same time as the consortium.
Othman, meantime, is not going to lose sleep
over revelations that his company was involved
in the aborted pest control scheme. He said infor-
mation on the Companies Commission database
was outdated as he had divested his interests in
the company. “I am not a shareholder, nor direc-
tor,” he said when contacted, adding that he was
one of 58 applicants for the PKNS top job.
The interviews were conducted by two senior
corporate personalities upon a request from
Abdul Khalid.
Othman said the pest control issue was blown
out of proportion. The earlier system, he said,
was conceived with the intention of assisting
bumiputra pest controllers.
“Due to the protests, MTES (Selangor Econo-
mic Action Council) decided to open up to all pest
controllers,” he said, adding that while some of
the companies may not have had a pesticides
board licence, the consortium itself had one.
Othman said there were various issues to
consider including the fact that the need for
additional accreditation was only introduced
via the Pesticides Act (Pest Control Operator
Rules) 2004. “It can take about a year to obtain a
licence,” he said, adding that 70% of members of
the Pest Control Association – his biggest critic
– did not have such a licence.
Othman, the former general manager of
Kesas Holdings Bhd, also served as Propel Bhd
Engineering Division head and director of SP
Setia Bhd subsidiary, KLWK Sdn Bhd.
The University of Tasmania civil engineering
graduate said he wants to put the past behind
him to fully concentrate on his new job.
“Right now, I just want to focus on doing a
good job and contributing to the progress of
PKNS. I have been entrusted with this responsi-
bility and I want to do the best I can,” he said.

Notify cops of
holiday plans
PETALING JAYA: Police have advised
people returning to their hometowns
for the Chinese New Year holidays to
notify their area police stations.
Selangor police chief DCP Datuk
Khalid Abu Bakar said this was to enable
personnel to monitor residents’ houses
during their absence. A form for the
purpose is available at police stations
and is also being distributed to houses.
Khalid said past records showed spirit of neighbourliness to fight crime. Cheah and
that intensified patrols under this Also at the launch was Sunway Group Khalid at
system had reduced the incidence of chairman and chairman of the Malaysian the launch
crime dramatically. Crime Prevention Foundation’s Selangor of the ‘Balik
Speaking at the launch of the “Balik branch Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah who said Kampung,
Kampung, Rumah Selamat” campaign the foundation was drawing up pro- Rumah
at Sunway Pyramid yesterday, jointly grammes to get the public involved in Selamat’
organised by police and Subang Jaya crime prevention. campaign.
residents’ associations, he urged resi- Call the Selangor police hotline at
dents to be vigilant and enhance the 03-2052 9999.