Umno: Probe illegal sand sale

The Star 25 Jan 10;

PETALING JAYA: Umno Youth has called for immediate action to be taken by the relevant authorities on the illegal sale of sand to Singapore.

Its chief Khairy Jamaluddin said the police, the Customs Department and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) should look into it as it also involved smuggling.

“The sale of sand to another country should be closely monitored because if there is an element of smuggling, it is a serious crime,” he told reporters after leading the Caring Youth Programme organised by the Petaling Jaya Selatan Umno Youth division here yesterday.

Khairy said Umno Youth was prepared to lodge a police report so that the matter could be investigated. The issue surfaced after former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad claimed on his blog that 700 lorries of sand were sold to Singapore daily.

On a separate issue, Khairy said Umno Youth, together with the Barisan Nasional, would reach out to the rakyat.

“Some party leaders in Selangor are selective when offering help to the needy here. I was told that they only help those who voted for them or who are registered members of their party and I think this is really unhealthy,” he said.

Khairy, along with at least 50 other Umno Youth members, rode on 30 motorcycles and combed through the housing areas to visit several homes at Medan Maju Jaya off Kampung Datuk Harun here.

The group also offered help to V. Balu, 50, and his sister V.Gageswari, 52, whose home was destroyed in a fire on Saturday.