Perlis PKR chief, lecturer deny cronyism claims linked to govt firm, RM17 million research grant
A PKR leader in Perlis has denied allegations of involvement in corruption and cronyism, two years after his appointment as the chairman of a loss-making company under the education ministry.
Amin Ahmad, a former MP who lost his Kangar seat at the last general election, said the claims by Aliff Ahmad, an investigator who regularly exposes incidents of corruption and abuse of power in politics and the corporate world, were false.
“I have made arrangements with a lawyer for legal action over the issue,” he said when contacted by MalaysiaNow about Aliff’s allegations last week which have gone viral on social media.
Amin also said it was up to the other parties mentioned by Aliff to take the appropriate action.
Amin, who recently won the Kangar PKR branch election, said he believed Aliff had obtained false details from his political enemies within the party.
“I am certain that those who are trying to topple me within the party as well as in politics would take the opportunity to furnish unverified information,” he said on Facebook.
In his post, Aliff, the co-founder of SCRUT, a platform that helps people avoid falling victim to used car company scams, claimed that Amin had strengthened his influence after losing the last general election to benefit his family and close friends.
Like a number of other Pakatan Harapan leaders who were defeated in the election, Amin was handed a position in a government company in March 2023 when he was appointed as chairman of the Malaysian Institute of Translation & Books.
About a year later, his wife was appointed as managing director of Yayasan Hasanah, a foundation under Khazanah Nasional.
Aliff, in laying out the details of his claims, also named several others who, according to him, were close to Amin.
‘Not a single sen’
He claimed, among others, that a research grant amounting to RM17 million was given by Yayasan Hasanah to Leelany Ayob, an academic who teaches translation at Universiti Sains Malaysia.
Aliff said the amount was “too great” for research not related to science and technology. He also said that the largest grant given so far was RM13 million, which was allocated to a professor at Universiti Malaya to conduct a science and technology-related research.
Leelany confirmed receiving the grant, but said that “not a single sen” from the amount went into her own pocket.
“Although I received a grant of RM17.5 million, I live a humble life. I only own an Axia, and I live in a small but comfortable terrace house.
“I can’t afford to have that dream luxurious life because I have children who are still studying, and many things that require my financial attention,” she said.
According to Leelany, the grant was given for research on students who drop out of the Form Five SPM examination.
“It was for a digital learning project that helps our own children who have dropped out, and we are working hard to ensure that they do not fail their SPM.
“If they fail, it will be very difficult for them to live a better life in the future. We want to help reduce SPM failures,” she said, adding that her team was chosen as it had an “excellent track record” in various community projects.
Aliff previously made several revelations involving PKR leaders, including Invoke, a company led by Rafizi Ramli.
Two months ago, he investigated several firms named by Transport Minister Anthony Loke to break the monopoly of Puspakom, the company responsible for conducting vehicle checks for the Road Transport Department
He questioned the appointment of the three firms and warned that Puspakom’s monopoly would be replaced by an oligopoly characterised by cronyism and “Ali Baba”-style companies.
He also claimed that the companies had no experience in conducting vehicle checks, a violation of the guidelines issued by Loke himself in April 2024.
