IPOH: The state government has called for a forensic audit of the Movie Animation Park Studios (MAPS) theme park which currently incurred a loss amounting to RM474.4 million said Perak Economic Advisory Council (SEAC) member, Nga Kor Ming.
“The state government is committed to save this white elephant project but what is more important is to have a forensic audit and it should be done immediately. Those who made every decision on this project until it caused a big loss should be responsible and brought to justice. This is the people’s money.
“We have reminded them so many times during their five-year period, to not get involved by investing in MAPS. It is not the state government’s job to build the theme park. We should give it to the private sector to invest and they will bear everything.
“At the beginning, the state government was not involved in this project and Perak State Development Corporation (PKNP) only provided land to the private sector who wished to develop the theme park.
“I am not sure how the plan changed out of the blue and the state government now is the largest stakeholder in this project,” he said in a press conference at the 14th state legislative assembly in Bangunan Perak Darul Ridzuan here today.
To date, Nga said the amount of losses incurred was RM474.4 million including asset value amounting to RM186.5 million and loss on non-trade receivables amounting to RM90.4 million.
“What is more shocking, the state-owned Perak Corporation Bhd is the largest shareholder in this project with total investment amounting to RM248 million.
Every year, the company need to pay the bank loan amounting RM15 million,” he said.
Following this, Nga demanded the previous state government which was led by Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir to apologise to the people who have to bear the consequences due to the poor decision making.
MAPS, which was opened on June 26, 2017, has over 40 unique attractions with six world-renowned animated themes including Boboiboy, The Smurfs and some animated characters from Dreamworks.
However, on Aug 8, Perak Corp Bhd’s indirect 51%-owned subsidiary Animation Theme Park Sdn Bhd (ATP) had dropped plans to include DreamWorks’ attractions at its Movie Animation Park Studio (MAPS) in Ipoh, Perak, after both parties failed to reach an agreement to open the DreamWorks’ attractions to the public by Aug 1.
In a filing with Bursa Malaysia, Perak Corp said ATP has officially discontinued the licence agreement entered with DreamWorks Animation LLC on Jan 1, 2013, for the establishment and operation of DreamWorks’ attractions within MAPS.