It’s all “old tactics” to tarnish Umno and BN says former Selangor Menteri Besar, Mohd Khir Toyo, in response to allegations that he had accepted a RM159,250 Patek Phillipe watch as a souvenir while the head of Permodalan Negeri Selangor Bhd (PNSB).

Khir, speaking to Malaysiakini, said the allegation was “stupid” and “an old story” excavated again by the Pakatan Rakyat government to discredit him.

khir toyo interview 121207 paused “This is an old issue. I've already said that I returned the watch to them. This is all old tactics by Pakatan to tarnish my image as well as Umno and BN.

“I even told them that they should not have given me such an expensive gift so that was why I returned it,” he said.

The Selangor government was quoted in the New Straits Times today as saying that it is probing the matter, alongside other issues involving alleged financial irregularities by government officials who have served under Khir.

It is alleged that, although Khir claimed the watch has already been returned to PNSB, the former menteri besar had managed to get the expensive gift "through the back door".

patek philippe watch 240209 The matter was raised by current menteri besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim after he informed the press that two senior officials from PNSB have been told to go on leave over allegations of accounting irregularities.

Both chief executive officer Khairiyah Abu Hassan and finance manager Nora Azmin Radzuan had been given 30 days of paid leave so that auditing and updating of accounts can take place.

Accounts did not include officials' perks

Khalid further said several offences in record-keeping and other weaknesses in PNSB have been uncovered. Among the accounts checked were those that had been submitted to the Inland Revenue Department (IRD).

Investigations also revealed that some of the accounts submitted to the IRD had not included perks enjoyed by some of the previous top officials.

Khalid also said that the dubious purchase and sale of properties by PNSB in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, are being investigated as well.

The state subsidiary is believed to have acquired apartments there and to have sold them them later without approval.

Speculation is that the property was actually sold off to Khir’s family at a much lower price but the former menteri besar denied any involvement in the matter.

“What's this? I've got nothing to do with this,” he said with a laugh.

Commenting on the two senior officials who are allegedly involved in financial irregularities, Khir said the issue does not concern him although certain quarters are trying to implicate him in this.

“They (civil servants) are loyal to the ruling government. Whoever is ruling, they will be loyal to them. It has got nothing to do with me,” he added.

Khir has been involved in a running battle with Khalid since the latter's appointment to the post of menteri besar after the general election last March. Khalid has since sued him for defamation in two matters.