Former Majlis Pusat members and one businessman charged for inflating Hari Raya light-up expenses

Three former members of Malay-Muslim community organisation Majlis Pusat were charged this morning with cheating a ministry and three statutory boards by inflating the expenditure of the Hari Raya decorative lights, according to Channel NewsAsia.  They were Abdul Ghani Tahir, Gazaly Malek and Saharudin Kassim, who is the organisation's ex-president.  The vendor for the Hari Raya light-up events in 2011 and 2012 Salleh Sam, was also implicated and charged.  The Straits Times writes that in 2011, the three officials Abdul Ghani, Gazaly and Saharudin had falsified the income and expenditure statement by $349,570, while in 2012, when Saharudin was president, he'd schemed with Gazaly to inflate the spending by $130,768.  Altogether, the then Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, the National Population and Talent Division, Singapore Tourism Board, as well as the Tote Board, had disbursed $914,511 to Majlis Pusat for the Hari Raya light-up events commonly organised in Geylang Serai.   Photo: File pic of Hari Raya light-up in Geylang Serai, 2013; Coconuts Singapore