‘No open tenders’: MCA files report

Selangor government contracts amounting to RM143 million were not awarded through open tenders, claims MCA.

SHAH ALAM: MCA has lodged a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) against the Selangor government for alleged discrepancies in the awarding of state contracts.

Selangor MCA public complaints bureau chairman Theng Book said that 44 contracts given out in 2010 amounting to RM143 million were not given through open tenders.

Some of these contracts, he said, were even given out twice.

“After we studied the contracts, we found that there are many, many discrepancies, including contracts that were awarded twice. When given out again, they tendered them again,” he told reporters here.

He added that the Pakatan Rakyat-led state government had also supplied fertiliser above market value.

Theng said MCA raised the matter with Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim on June 22.

He added that Khalid would provide an answer for MCA’s queries at the Selangor state assembly next week.

Theng claimed that the state government tried to convince him that these contracts were awarded before Pakatan took over the state in 2008.

“He (Khalid) is responsible for it. He cannot push everything to the previous state government and leave it open,” he added.

Theng also said that he did not want to wait for Khalid to give an answer at the Selangor State Legislative Assembly next week, and therefore filed the report.

Asked on the nature of these contracts, he said that he could not reveal the details as the MACC report had already been lodged, and they were not allowed to talk about the case.

“If we talk too much, they will know how to cover (up),” he said.

MCA attacked the state government for allegedly reneging on its promise of transparency and accountability in awarding of contracts.

Theng’s deputy Kelvin Chong Seng Foo zeroed in on DAP’s PJ Utara MP Tony Puu, asking him to file a report with the MACC if there were abuses of power.

“As for MCA, we dare to talk, we dare to do it,” he said.