KUALA LUMPUR: Tan Sri Annuar Musa told the Mara internal audit committee today that he had no hand in the decision-making process which led to Mara’s sponsorship of the Kelantan Red Warriors (TRW).
"I was not involved in the decision-making, negotiation (or management process of the sponsorship, contrary to) the slander hurled against me on Facebook, stating that education funds were used for the sponsorship, " Annuar, who is now on paid leave as Mara chairman, told reporters at the agency's headquarters here.
Annuar’s statement on allegations of abuse of power and misappropriation of funds, including sponsorship of the TRW, were recorded by the committee in a one-hour session earlier.
He further explained that the sponsorship was not a regular one, but a “commercial deal”, which was “a different concept altogether.”
Annuar said he was only in charge of approving the budget, branding and marketing aspects of the sponsorship to promote the state football team.
He also maintains that he was not involved in any bidding process over the team, stressing that his former position as head of the Kelantan Football Association (Kafa) was a voluntary post, without benefits such as pay and allowances.
Annuar further said that the decision to approve the commercial deals which would allow the agency's subsidiaries – Pelaburan Mara Bhd (PMB) and Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) – to advertise their brands on the football team's jerseys, was made by the respective administrative teams.
“I never instructed anyone in Mara (to use) education funds (to sponsor) the team.
“In fact, (the marketing administrative team) was transparent in their decision, and there was black and white (documentation). I had no hand in this,” said the Ketereh MP.
The explosive issue of Mara subsidiaries allegedly financing Kafa was brought to the fore by Tunku Mahkota Johor Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, on Jan 12.
Tunku Ismail had reportedly posted photos of documents – purportedly revealing a RM500,000 sponsorship agreement by UniKL, and a RM200,000 sponsorship by PMB for TRW – on his Facebook page.