KUCHING: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has received a report over the alleged lack of transparency in the tender process for three infrastructure projects in the state.
Two of the projects involved the Song-Kapit road estimated at RM100 million each, while another involved a bridge project in Kanowit estimated at RM150 million.
Democratic Action Party (DAP) state chairman Chong Chieng Jen, who accompanied the complainant — a DAP member — to lodge the report, claimed that the open tenders were subsequently converted to selected tenders despite already receiving submissions from some 50 contractors for each project.
According to him, the invitation to selected tenders was done discreetly without being published or advertised in the newspapers.
“I have raised this issue several times and even wrote a letter to the Finance Ministry to seek explanation. When I enquired about the tender process conversion, I was officially told by a minister in parliament that the project needed to be expedited and implemented urgently. This was in June.
“Under the initial open tender process, the closing date for two of the projects was in March while another in April this year. Due to this ‘secret conversion’ into selected tenders, until now the project has yet to be awarded and this has raised more suspicion. Had the project gone on continuing with open tender, it would have already been awarded and commenced by now,” the Bandar Kuching Member of Parliament told reporters yesterday.
Chong added that a statement issued by the Finance Ministry’s office confirmed the open tender process had been converted to selected tenders.
“The difference between open tender and selected tenders is obvious as the former is open for all while the latter only involves a few nominations by the ministry who are eligible to tender. In this sense, there is a lot of room for corruption, abuse, and cronyism under the selected tenders system.
“What is more suspicious in this case is that the whole thing has been announced and advertised for open tender. About 50 contractors had submitted their tenders for each of these projects but the ministry suddenly changed it to selected tenders.“All the contractors who submitted their tenders were waiting patiently, thinking they had a chance to be awarded the projects until we disclosed the news,” he added.
Chong called on MACC to investigate the matter thoroughly without fear or favour.