M'sia EPF board rapped over foiled PC scheme

KUALA LUMPUR--The government, under pressure from the public, has lashed out at the Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) for failing to ensure the delivery of 150,000 PCs worth RM525 million to contributors under the nation's scheme to increase personal computer ownership.

The EPF PC-scheme, which was launched late last year, is supposed to make it easier for the public to own computers, by using their EPF savings to make the purchases.

Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi expressed shock, adding that the EPF was duty-bound to protect the interests of the contributors even if the foul-up was not its fault.

"It is up to the EPF to decide now whether it has the capability to continue with the scheme and at the same time plug any loopholes," he was quoted as saying in The New Straits Times today.

Under the scheme, EPF had appointed Pos Malaysia and Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) as agents to facilitate the public in buying computers.

This delay was apparently caused by Unimaya Sdn Bhd, one of the consortia picked by BSN to supply the PCs to the customers.

Unimaya had claimed recently that the delay was caused by insufficient data on EPF contributors given by BSN.

To this, Abdullah said: "I don't understand how the company can make such statement of insufficient data. It does not make sense and I find it hard to believe... there must be something wrong."