Opposition doesn’t know how to capitalise on issues, say 2 ex-Umno leaders

 

The Public Accounts Committee had flagged the home ministry’s renewal of Bestinet’s contract to provide IT systems for the foreign workers centralised management system, saying it would cost the government RM3.22 billion over the next six years. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: 

Two former Umno leaders are of the view that the current opposition is clueless when it comes to “exploiting” issues, citing recent revelations on a migrant worker computer system.

In the latest episode of the Keluar Sekejap podcast, Khairy Jamaluddin lamented that the Public Accounts Committee’s (PAC) findings over the issue linked to Bestinet Sdn Bhd “did not get much attention”.

The former Umno Youth chief said PAC chairman Mas Ermieyati Samsudin was from opposition party, Bersatu.

He added it was “perhaps a shame” that no MPs from Mas Ermieyati’s party had backed her.

“I think if the old opposition, which is today’s government, had gotten hold of this kind of issue, the case would have exploded,” he said, referring to Pakatan Harapan.

“It would have been all over the news. There would have been videos and all sorts of things.”

Khairy’s co-host, Shahril Hamdan, agreed, saying that PH would have turned it into a big national issue.

“The current opposition doesn’t really know how to exploit these things,” the former Umno information chief said.

Last week, the PAC flagged the home ministry’s renewal of Bestinet’s contract to provide IT systems for the foreign workers centralised management system (FWCMS), saying it was a cause for concern.

It said the processing fee per permit had soared to RM215 for each foreign worker, far above earlier rates, and could cost the government RM3.22 billion over the next six years.

However, Malaysiakini quoted Bestinet CEO Ismail Noor as saying the calculations in the PAC’s report were inaccurate.

PAC will also summon Attorney-General Dusuki Mokhtar, among others, to explain the government’s decision to sign a contract for the FWCMS with Bestinet in September.

Dusuki, who sits on the central committee board of FWCMS, will be called in alongside other committee members such as Treasury secretary-general Johan Mahmood Merican, home ministry secretary-general Awang Jeman, as well as the committee’s chairman Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar, who is chief secretary to the government.

They are expected to be questioned next month. - FMT