Freeze order on ‘mystery’ boxes in defence contractor’s compound in KL

The boxes are stacked in trucks and on wooden pallets outside a private firm not far from the Ministry of Defence headquarters.

The ‘mystery’ boxes stacked on pallets and in trucks, in the compound of a private telecommunications firm not far from the Ministry of Defence.

KUALA LUMPUR: Stacks of boxes outside the offices of one of Malaysia’s largest defence contractors have raised speculation that they could contain documents related to the Ministry of Defence’s current investigation into suspicious business deals under the previous administration.

A check by FMT revealed that the boxes, which could easily number more than a hundred, have been carefully placed on wooden pallets and in at least four military trucks, some of them covered with canvas and plastic wrap.

When questioned, security guards at the private company, whose name is being withheld pending a response, claimed they were in the dark about the contents of the boxes, but said they had received strict orders from “the authorities” to ensure that “no one touches or goes near them”.

“The pallets have been there under rain and shine. We can’t say much but we are told to ensure no boxes or papers go missing,” said a guard, who declined to give more details.

He also told FMT that the boxes arrived sometime between the election campaign period and the aftermath of polling day on May 9.

FMT was first alerted about the boxes by a reliable source, who said they contained “important documents” related to Mindef contracts.

Defence contracts believed to be worth billions of ringgit have become a focus of the Pakatan Harapan government as it pledges to unravel graft in government procurements under Barisan Nasional.

Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu recently announced a special probe team headed by former auditor-general Ambrin Buang, to investigate alleged misconduct and malpractices in the ministry.

The source told FMT that the boxes were placed there on May 21 on instructions from “a very senior politician”.

FMT could not independently verify the claim, but is trying to contact related parties, including former defence minister Hishammuddin Hussein.

“These documents were meant to be kept in Block B and C to be destroyed later,” the source said, adding that they contained documents and papers which could act as evidence in any graft probe.

Meanwhile, an employee from the firm said company documents that were meant to be discarded were usually kept in an unused block.

“But these boxes were not moved. Maybe the new government is looking at the contents,” he told FMT. -FMT